Complete Guide to Telling the Time in Russian

Learn to Tell the Time in Russian || From Seconds to Years

Learning how to tell the time is an essential part of mastering any language, and Russian is no exception!

Whether you are traveling to a Russian-speaking country, conducting business with Russian clients, or simply chatting with Russian-speaking friends and family, being able to tell the time accurately is a valuable skill.

In this article, we will cover how to tell the time in Russian, including dates and months.

All information is broken down into easy-to-read tables. Why not create your own flashcards using the information from this article?

We’ll even finish it off with a little quiz to see how much you remembered!

Let’s get started!

Telling the Time in Russian || Time

Telling the Time in Russian || Dates & Days

Telling the Time in Russian || Months

BONUS || Quickfire Quiz

Telling the Time in Russian || FAQs

Telling the Time in Russian

In Russian, the 24-hour clock is most commonly used, so it is important to learn how to tell time in this format.

Here is a breakdown of the essential vocabulary you need to know:

When telling the time in Russian, you say the hour + часа (chasa) + minute минут (minut). Here are some examples:

• 3:30 – Три часа тридцать минут
  • tri chasa tridtsat’ minut
• 7:45 – Семь часов сорок пять минут
  • sem’ chasov sorok pyat’ minut
• 12:15 – Двенадцать часов пятнадцать минут
  • dvenadtsat’ chasov pyatnadtsat’ minut

If you aren’t completely sure about your numbers, no worries! Check out our numbers in Russian post for a complete guide.

Here’s a quick reminder of 1 to 12 though…

If you want to say “o’clock” in Russian, you simply use the word “часов” (chasov) after the hour.

FOR EXAMPLE

• 6 o’clock || Шесть часов (shest’ chasov)
• 11 o’clock || Одиннадцать часов (odinnadtsat’ chasov)

Remember!

In Russian, the time is usually said with the hour first, and then followed by the minutes.

Time in Russian || Dates & Days

Now that we’ve learnt how to tell the time in Russian, it’s time to move on to dates.

Here is the essential vocabulary that you need to know:

The formula for using dates in Russian is “day” + “month” + “year”.

FOR EXAMPLE

• January 1st, 2022 – Первое января две тысячи двадцать второго года
  • pervoe yanvarya dve tisyachi dvadtsat’ vtorogo goda
• March 8th, 2023 – Восьмое марта две тысячи двадцать третьего года
  • vos’moe marta dve tisyachi dvadtsat’ tret’yego goda
• December 25th, 2024 – Двадцать пятое декабря две тысячи двадцать четвертого года
  • dvadtsat’ pyatoye dekabrya dve tisyachi dvadtsat’ chetvertogo goda

TOP TIP || in Russian, the day of the month is always said before the month itself.

BONUS || here is a quick look at the ordinal numbers in Russian too.

DID YOU KNOW || the word “год” (god) is usually omitted when speaking about the current year.

FOR EXAMPLE

• August 15th – Пятнадцатое августа
  • pyatnadtsatoye avgusta
• September 20th, 2025 – Двадцатое сентября две тысячи двадцать пятого года
  • dvadtsatoye sentyabrya dve tisyachi dvadtsat’ pyatogo goda

IMPORTANT || When saying the date in Russian, it’s important to remember that the gender of the month changes depending on the context.

FOR EXAMPLE || if you say “June” as a standalone word, it is masculine (июнь), but if you say “in June”, it becomes feminine (в июне).

This can be a bit tricky to remember, so it’s a good idea to practice and get used to it.

Talking of years, do you know how the Russian New Year is celebrated?

Check out our Russian New Year post to learn the must-know phrases and interesting traditions.

Happy New Year in Russian || 19 Phrases and Traditions You Need To Know

Discover 19 words, phrases, activities and traditions to celebrate a Happy New Year in Russia and find out what С Новым Годом means.

Time in Russian || Months

We’ve learnt the days… so what’s next?

The months of course!

Here is a list of the months in Russian

FUN FACT || The months in Russian are all masculine when spoken alone, yet the word for month is feminine.

REMEMBER || When saying the months in Russian, you should use the appropriate gender depending on the context.

BONUS || QUIZ

OK, we’ve done everything we can!

Now it’s your time to shine…

Let’s see how many you remember with this quick fire quiz. Your score will be shown instantly on screen after completing the quiz 🤩

Time is Up!

Time's up

Learning how to tell the time, date, and months in Russian is an essential part of mastering the language and a great step forward.

Keep practicing and improving your skills, and soon enough, telling time in Russian will become second nature to you!

In the meantime – if you have any questions, drop us a comment below 😍

Telling the Time in Russian || FAQs

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