Telling the Time

Telling the Time

Whole hours (o'clock)
Uair (hour) is used to signify o'clock. With plural numbers this changes to **uairean** :
uair - one o'clock †	seachd uairean - seven o'clock
dà uair - two o'clock	ochd uairean - eight o'clock
trì uairean - three o'clock	naoi uairean - nine o'clock
ceithir uairean - four o'clock	deich uairean - ten o'clock
còig uairean - five o'clock	aon uair deug - eleven o'clock
sia uairean - six o'clock	dà uair dheug - twelve o'clock
	meadhan là - mid-day
	meadhan oidhche - mid-night

† aon is not used before uair to signify one o'clock

**Divisions of the hour** :
còig mionaidean - 5 minutes	fichead mionaid - 20 minutes
deich mionaidean - 10 minutes	còig mionaidean fichead - 25 mins
còig mionaidean deug - 15 minutes	lethuair - half (half an hour)
cairteal - quarter

**Examples**:
For **to the hour** use gu, and **after the hour** use **an dèidh** :
Dè an uair a tha e? - What time is it? (in speech this is often shortened to Dè 'n uair a tha e?)
1.00 - The e uair - It is one o'clock
2.00 - The e dà uair - It is two o'clock
3.05 - Tha e còig mionaidean an dèidh a trì	2.55 - Tha e còig mionaidean gu trì ‡
4.10 - Tha e deich mionaidean an dèidh a ceithir	3.50 - Tha e deich mionaidean gu ceithir
5.15 - Tha e cairteal an dèidh a còig	4.45 - Tha e cairteal gu còig
6.20 - Tha e fichead mionaid an dèidh a sia	5.40 - Tha e fichead mionaid gu sia
7.25 - Tha e còig mionaidean fichead an dèidh a seachd	6.35 - Tha e còig mionaidean fichead gu seachd
8.30 - Tha e lethuair an dèidh a h-ochd
12pm - Tha e meadhan-oidhche / Tha e dà uair dheug
12am - Tha e meadhan-là / Tha e dà uair dheug

‡ the a before numbers is dropped after gu

It is not uncommon to find **an uaireadair** (lit. of the watch) or a thìde (lit. of time) tagged on to the end of the reply when talking about elapsed time :
Bha mi ann dà uair an uaireadair - I was there for two hours

As in English you do not strictly have to reply starting with **Tha e**; simply state the time :
Question: Dè an uair a tha e?	Answer: Trì uairean

NEW WORDS

**Adjectives**
pongail - punctual, exact

**Adverbs**
air dheireadh - behind (slow as a clock)	air thoiseach - ahead (fast as a clock)
a thìde - of time	gu leth - and a half (an additional half of anything)

**Nouns**
adhar (m) - air	cairteal (m) - quarter cairteal na h-uarach - quarter of an hour trì chairteal na h-uarach - three quarters of an hour
coinneal (m) - candle	diog (m) - second (of time)
gleoc (m) clock	itealan (m) - aeroplane
leannan (m) - sweetheart, lover	mac-talla (m) - echo
searmon (m) - sermon	trèan (m) - train
uaireadair (m) - watch, timepiece
lethuair (f) - half-hour	mionaid (f) - minute
uair (f) - hour, time

**Prepositions**
an dèidh - after

**Verbs**
caith, caitheamh - spend (time), wear	cuir seachad, cur seachad - spend (time)
mair, mairsinn - last, endure	seall, sealltainn (do) - look, show (to)

**EXERCISE 1 Translate into English**
1.Bidh an t-itealan a' falbh aig cairteal gu trì feasgar	2.Bidh sinn anns an adhar airson còig uairean a thìde
3.Tòisichidh a' choinneamh mu chòig mionaidean gu ceithir	4.Cuin a bhitheas am bus gu Inbhir Nis a' falbh?
5.Aig lethuair an dèidh a dhà	6.Tha m' uaireadair còig mionaidean deug air dheireadh
7.Bha an gleoc a' sealltainn cairteal an dèidh uair	8.Bha mo leannan lethuair a thìde fadalach
9.Loisg an coinneal air falbh ann an uair gu leth	10.Bha sinn aig a' chèilidh gus cairteal gu aon uair deug

**EXERCISE 2 Translate into Gàidhlig**
1.The echo returned after ten seconds	2.They spent three quarters of an hour reading
3.The boat arrived punctually at five o'clock	4.He said they spent three hours climbing Ben Nevis
5.They got their dinner at one o'clock	6.The train will arrive at quarter past four
7.The clock was nearly ten minutes fast	8.He said he would come about half-past eight
9.The sermon lasted an hour and a half	10.I was at school before nine o'clock

**ANSWERS - EXERCISE 1**
1.The aeroplane leaves at quarter to three in the afternoon	2.We'll be in the air for five hours
3.The meeting will start about five minutes to four	4.When will the bus to Inverness be leaving?
5.At half past two	6.My watch is fifteen minutes slow/behind
7.The clock was showing quarter past one	8.My girlfriend/boyfriend was half an hour late
9.The candle burnt away in an hour and a half	10.We were at the ceilidh until quarter to eleven

**ANSWERS - EXERCISE 2**
1.Thill am mac-talla an dèidh deich diogan	2.Chuir iad seachad trì chairteal na h-uarach a' leughadh
3.Ràinig am bàta gu pongail aig còig uairean	4.Thuirt e gun do chuir iad seachad trì uairean a' streap Beinn Neibhis
5.Fhuair iad an dìnnear-san aig uair	6.Ruigidh an trèan aig cairteal an dèidh a ceithir
7.Bha an gleoc faisg air deich mionaidean air thoiseach	8.Thuirt e gun tigeadh e mu lethuair an dèidh a h-ochd
9.Mhair an searmon uair gu leth	10.Bha mi aig an sgoil ro naoi uairean

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