Italian Phrase
È alle 10 del mattino.
Meaning
The sentence tells the exact time of day, indicating that it is ten o’clock in the morning. It is an impersonal way to give the time, equivalent to saying ‘It is ten in the morning.’
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to specify a precise morning hour – for appointments, schedules, or when answering the question ‘Che ora è?’ (What time is it?). It is common in spoken Italian, especially in informal contexts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Èalle10delmattino
È (verb essere)
Third‑person singular of the verb ‘to be’; used here as an impersonal construction to state the time.
alle (a + le)
The preposition ‘a’ (at) combined with the plural feminine article ‘le’; required because the following time expression is treated as a plural noun phrase.
10 (dieci)
The cardinal number ‘dieci’; when spoken the numeral is pronounced as the word ‘dieci’.
del (di + il)
Contraction of the preposition ‘di’ (of) and the masculine singular article ‘il’; it links the noun ‘mattino’ to the time expression.
mattino
Noun meaning ‘morning’; used to specify the part of the day.
🗨In Conversation
Che ora è?
What time is it?
È alle 10 del mattino.
It’s at ten in the morning.
✕Common Mistakes
È le 10 del mattino.
The article must agree with the preposition; use ‘alle’ (a + le) not ‘le’ alone.
Sono alle 10 del mattino.
When using ‘sono’, the article ‘le’ follows the number, not the preposition ‘a’. Correct: ‘Sono le 10 del mattino.’
È alle 10 di mattino.
The correct preposition before ‘mattino’ is the contracted form ‘del’ (di + il).
↔Alternatives
Sono le 10 del mattino.
It is ten in the morning.
È alle 10 di mattina.
It’s at ten in the morning.
Alle 10 del mattino.
At ten in the morning.
Cultural Tip
In everyday Italian people often say “Sono le dieci del mattino” rather than “È alle 10 del mattino,” because the verb ‘essere’ is used impersonally with the plural ‘le’ for the hour. However, “È alle 10” is perfectly correct and common in the north of Italy and in more formal announcements. Remember that Italians also use the 24‑hour clock in written schedules, so you might see “10:00” or “10:00 h.”