Asking “What Time Is It?”
Before you can tell time, you need to ask for it. Persian makes this simple:
This post is part of the Persian Grammar series.
Sâ’at chand ast? (ساعت چند است؟) = What time is it? (formal)
Sâ’at chande? (ساعت چنده؟) = What time is it? (spoken)
“Sâ’at” (ساعت) means both “clock/watch” and “hour/time.” “Chand” means “how many.” So you’re literally asking “the hour is how many?”. which is the same logic as French “quelle heure est-il?”
In very casual speech, you might hear just “chande?” (what time?) without even “sâ’at”. especially among friends. Or “sâat chande?” where the glottal stop in sâ’at softens to nothing.
You’ll need Persian numbers for this lesson. If you haven’t covered those yet, the key ones for time are: yek (1), do (2), se (3), chahâr (4), panj (5), shesh (6), haft (7), hasht (8), noh (9), dah (10), yâzdah (11), davâzdah (12).
Hours
Telling the hour in Farsi: sâ’at + number + ast/e
Sâ’at yek-e (ساعت یکه) = It’s one o’clock
Sâ’at do-e (ساعت دوئه) = It’s two o’clock
Sâ’at se-e (ساعت سهست) = It’s three o’clock
Sâ’at chahâr-e (ساعت چهاره) = It’s four o’clock
Sâ’at davâzdah-e (ساعت دوازدهست) = It’s twelve o’clock
The “-e” at the end is the spoken copula (the “to be” verb in action). Formal: “sâ’at yek ast.” Spoken: “sâ’at yeke.” You’ll always hear the spoken version. You can hear time expressions pronounced on Forvo by native speakers.
Half and Quarter
Three essential time words (also covered in UT Austin’s Persian reference):
nim (نیم) = half (30 minutes)
rob’ (ربع) = quarter (15 minutes)
o (و) = and (connecting hours to minutes)
Sâ’at se o nim (ساعت سه و نیم) = 3:30 (three and half)
Sâ’at do o rob’ (ساعت دو و ربع) = 2:15 (two and quarter)
Sâ’at panj o nim = 5:30
Sâ’at haft o rob’ = 7:15
For “quarter to”. use ye rob’ be (یک ربع به. one quarter to):
Ye rob’ be panj = quarter to five (4:45)
Ye rob’ be davâzdah = quarter to twelve (11:45)
Ye rob’ be hasht = quarter to eight (7:45)
“Be” (به) means “to” here. the same preposition from prepositions. So “ye rob’ be panj” is literally “one quarter to five.”
Minutes
For specific minutes, use o + number + daghighe (دقیقه. minute):
Sâ’at se o bist daghighe = 3:20 (three and twenty minutes)
Sâ’at chahâr o dah daghighe = 4:10
Sâ’at do o panjâh daghighe = 2:50
For “minutes to” the next hour, use be:
Dah daghighe be panj = ten minutes to five (4:50)
Bist daghighe be se = twenty minutes to three (2:40)
Panj daghighe be hasht = five minutes to eight (7:55)
In casual speech, “daghighe” often drops entirely when the context is clear: “sâat se o bist” = 3:20 (everyone understands you mean minutes, not days).
12-Hour vs 24-Hour
Daily conversation uses the 12-hour system with time-of-day words to disambiguate:
sobh (صبح) = morning (roughly 6am-12pm)
zohr (ظهر) = noon
ba’d az zohr (بعد از ظهر) = afternoon (roughly 12-6pm)
asr (عصر) = late afternoon/evening (roughly 4-7pm)
shab (شب) = night (roughly 7pm+)
Sâ’at hasht-e sobh = 8:00 AM (eight in the morning)
Sâ’at se-ye ba’d az zohr = 3:00 PM (three in the afternoon)
Sâ’at dah-e shab = 10:00 PM (ten at night)
The 24-hour system appears in train schedules, official announcements, and TV programming. but almost never in conversation. An Iranian would say “sâ’at hasht-e shab” (8 PM), not “sâ’at bist” (20:00).
Spoken Compression
In spoken Farsi, time expressions compress predictably:
sâ’at → sâat (the glottal stop softens)
daghighe → drops entirely in casual speech
“ast” → “-e” (copula compression, as always)
ba’d az zohr → ba’dazzohr (blends into one word)
So “sâ’at se o bist daghighe-ye ba’d az zohr ast” (formal) becomes:
“Sâat se o bist, ba’dazzohre” (spoken) = It’s 3:20 PM
Time Expressions
Essential time vocabulary beyond clock-telling:
alân (الان) = now / right now
hâlâ (حالا) = now (formal) / still
emruz (امروز) = today
diruz (دیروز) = yesterday
fardâ (فردا) = tomorrow
pariruz (پریروز) = day before yesterday
pasfardâ (پسفردا) = day after tomorrow
sobh (صبح) = morning
zohr (ظهر) = noon
shab (شب) = night
sâ’at-e chand? = at what time?
key? (کی) = when?
“Key?” is one of those words that sounds exactly like English “K”. and it means “when?” “Key miâi?” = When are you coming? Don’t confuse it with “ki” (کی. who?), which sounds similar but has a slightly different vowel.
Time Formula: sâ’at + number + -e (it’s X o’clock). Half: o nim. Quarter: o rob’. Minutes to: X daghighe be Y. “Sâ’at se o nim” = 3:30.
sâ’at se o rob’ ast
ساعت سه و ربع است
It’s 3:15
sâat se o rob’e
ساعت سه و ربعه
It’s 3:15
Iranian time is… flexible. “Panj daghighe dige miâm” (I’ll be there in 5 minutes) realistically means 20-30 minutes. “Alân miâm” (I’m coming now) means maybe soon, maybe not. This isn’t rudeness. it’s a cultural relationship with time that values presence over punctuality. The concept of “sa’at-e Irâni” (Iranian time) is a running joke among Iranians themselves. If an Iranian friend says “ye rob’ dige” (in a quarter hour), mentally double or triple it. And if they say “sâ’at-e shar’i” (religious time), they’re being ironic about being especially late.
Say “it’s 2:30” in spoken Farsi.
Show answer
Sâat do o nime (ساعت دو و نیمه). sâ’at compresses to sâat, “ast” becomes “-e.” Or even shorter: “do o nime.”
How do you say “quarter to five” (4:45)?
Show answer
Ye rob’ be panj (یک ربع به پنج) = one quarter to five. “Be” means “to”. the same preposition you use for direction. Spoken: ye rob’ be panj (barely changes).
Ask “what time is it?” in spoken Farsi.
Show answer
Sâat chande? (ساعت چنده؟). the glottal stop in sâ’at softens, and “ast” becomes “-e.” Even shorter: just “chande?” among friends.
For the full grammar roadmap, head to the Persian Grammar Guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
For a broader look at numbers, the solar calendar, and the toman/rial money system, see the Persian Numbers, Time & Calendar vocabulary guide.
How do you tell time in Farsi?
What does “nim” mean in Persian time?
Does Iran use 12-hour or 24-hour time?
How do you ask “what time” in Farsi?
What are the Persian time expressions for morning, afternoon, and night?
Time-telling is one of those skills that sounds simple but trips up learners in real conversations. In a Preply session with me, we’ll practice scheduling, making plans, and negotiating meeting times. the real-world contexts where telling time in Farsi actually matters. For extra practice material, see MSU’s open Persian textbook.
