SpeeekDownload on the App Store
Back to Time And Dates

Italian Phrase

Sono le sette meno un quarto

/ˈso.no le ˈsɛt.te ˈme.no un ˈkwar.to/
Meaning"It is a quarter to seven."
💡

Meaning

This phrase is the standard way to express the time 6:45 in Italian. It literally translates to 'They are the seven minus a quarter,' reflecting how Italian uses the plural verb for hours greater than one.

🎯

When to use

Use this when someone asks for the time or when scheduling an appointment in the early morning or evening. It is common in both casual and formal spoken Italian.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Sonole settemenoun quarto

1

Sono

The plural form of 'essere' (to be) is used because hours (except for 1:00) are considered plural in Italian.

2

le sette

Hours are feminine nouns in Italian and are almost always preceded by the feminine plural article 'le'.

3

meno

This means 'minus' and is used to subtract minutes from the next hour, just like 'to' in English.

🗨In Conversation

A

Scusi, sa che ore sono?

Excuse me, do you know what time it is?

Sì, sono le sette meno un quarto.

Yes, it is a quarter to seven.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • È le sette meno un quarto

    Use 'sono' for all hours except one o'clock, noon, and midnight because hours are plural.

  • Sono le sette meno quindici

    While mathematically correct, 'un quarto' is the idiomatic way to say 'a quarter' in time-telling.

↔Alternatives

  • Sono le sei e quarantacinque

    It is six forty-five.

  • Mancano quindici alle sette

    It is fifteen minutes to seven.

it

Cultural Tip

In Italy, while the 24-hour clock is common for official schedules like trains, people use the 12-hour clock in daily conversation. If you need to specify morning or evening, add 'di mattina' or 'di sera' to the end of the phrase.