Lesson 6.3: Dates and Times – Making Numbers Practical

Lesson 6.3: Dates and Times – Making Numbers Practical 🗓️⏰ #

Now that you’re comfortable with numbers up to 100, let’s make them useful! This lesson will teach you how to use numbers for telling time, understanding dates, and sounding like a true Italian local.

What You’ll Learn #

By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:

  • Talk about dates and days of the week.
  • Tell the time in Italian (and actually understand it!).
  • Impress Viktor when he schedules your next coffee meetup.

Dates – The Basics #

Days of the Week #

Italian English Pronunciation
Lunedì Monday LOO-neh-dee
Martedì Tuesday MAR-teh-dee
Mercoledì Wednesday MEHR-koh-leh-dee
Giovedì Thursday JOH-veh-dee
Venerdì Friday VEH-nehr-dee
Sabato Saturday SAH-bah-toh
Domenica Sunday Doh-MEH-nee-kah

Note: In Italian, the week starts with Monday, not Sunday.

Talking About Dates #

Dates in Italian are structured as day + month + year:

  • Il 15 agosto 2023 → The 15th of August 2023

Key vocabulary:

  • Ieri (Yesterday)
  • Oggi (Today)
  • Domani (Tomorrow)

Time – Telling the Hour #

Numbers and the Clock #

Italian English Pronunciation
L’una One o’clock LOO-nah
Le due Two o’clock Leh DOO-eh
Le tre Three o’clock Leh TREH
Le quattro Four o’clock Leh KWAHT-troh
Le cinque Five o’clock Leh CHEEN-kweh
Le sei Six o’clock Leh SEH-ee
Le sette Seven o’clock Leh SEHT-teh
Le otto Eight o’clock Leh OHT-toh
Le nove Nine o’clock Leh NOH-veh
Le dieci Ten o’clock Leh DYAY-chee
Le undici Eleven o’clock Leh OON-dee-chee
Le dodici Twelve o’clock Leh DOH-dee-chee

Key Phrases for Time #

  • Che ora è? (What time is it?)

    • Response: È mezzogiorno. (It’s noon.)

  • A che ora? (At what time?)

    • Response: Alle tre. (At three o’clock.)

  • Quanto tempo ci vuole? (How long will it take?)

    • Response: Ci vuole un’ora. (It’ll take one hour.)

Example Dialogue #

Scenario: Geoff is planning a trip to the museum with Viktor.

  • Geoff: Che giorno è oggi? (What day is it today?)
  • Viktor: È lunedì. (It’s Monday.)
  • Geoff: Perfetto! A che ora apre il museo? (Perfect! What time does the museum open?)
  • Viktor: Alle nove. (At 9 o’clock.)
  • Geoff: Benissimo. Ci vediamo alle otto e mezza per un caffè. (Great. Let’s meet at 8:30 for a coffee.)

Practice Time #

  1. Write today’s date in Italian.
    • Example: Il 28 dicembre 2024
  2. Ask what time it is and answer.
    • Che ora è?
    • È mezzanotte. (It’s midnight.)
  3. Talk about plans for tomorrow using time.
    • Example: Domani andiamo al mercato alle dieci. (Tomorrow we’re going to the market at 10.)

Quick Tips #

  1. Use “L’una” for 1 o’clock: Italians use the singular article for 1.
  2. Be Precise: Italians value exactness in time (except for late trains).
  3. Practice Makes Perfect: Combine dates and times to plan events in Italian.

Ready for More? #

Head over to Exercise 6.3: Dates and Times Practice to put your skills to the test!

✨ Bravo! You’re mastering Italian dates and times. Buona fortuna! 🌟