Italian Phrase
Ho un appuntamento alle 15.
Meaning
The speaker is stating that they have a scheduled meeting or appointment at three o’clock in the afternoon. It can refer to any kind of appointment—doctor, work, social, etc.—and simply conveys a fixed point in the daily schedule.
When to use
Use this sentence when you need to tell someone your agenda, confirm a meeting time, or explain why you’ll be unavailable at a certain hour. It works in both formal and informal contexts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Hounappuntamentoalle15
Avere (ho)
‘Ho’ is the first‑person singular present of ‘avere’ (to have) and is used to express possession or obligations.
Indefinite article ‘un’
‘Un’ is the masculine singular indefinite article; it matches the masculine noun ‘appuntamento’.
Noun ‘appuntamento’
A masculine noun meaning ‘appointment, meeting, date’; it can refer to a doctor’s visit, a business meeting, etc.
Time preposition ‘alle’
‘Alle’ = a + le, used before feminine plural nouns that denote hours; it is the standard way to say ‘at (time)’ for any hour except 1 (una).
Cardinal number for time
When telling the time, the hour is expressed as a cardinal number (15 = quindici).
🗨In Conversation
A che ora è il tuo appuntamento?
What time is your appointment?
Ho un appuntamento alle 15.
I have an appointment at 3 p.m.
✕Common Mistakes
Ho un appuntamento a le 15.
‘a le’ is never written together; the correct contraction is ‘alle’.
Ho una appuntamento alle 15.
‘Appuntamento’ is masculine, so the article must be ‘un’, not ‘una’.
Ho un appuntamento alle 15:00.
When speaking, Italians usually say the hour without ‘:00’; saying ‘alle 15:00’ sounds overly formal or technical.
↔Alternatives
Devo andare a un appuntamento alle 15.
I have to go to an appointment at 3 p.m.
Ho un incontro alle 15.
I have a meeting at 3 p.m.
Alle 15 ho un appuntamento.
At 3 p.m. I have an appointment.
Cultural Tip
In Italy the 24‑hour clock is common in written schedules, especially for work or medical appointments, while spoken language often uses the 12‑hour format with ‘di pomeriggio’ (in the afternoon) if clarification is needed. Punctuality is appreciated, but arriving a few minutes late is socially acceptable in many regions.