How do you tell the time?

1. Asking and telling the time in Dutch: the basic pattern

• To ask the time, you say: Hoe laat is het? (What time is it?).
• To answer, you always start with: Het is … (It is …).

So the basic structure is:

• Hoe laat is het?
• Het is + time

2. Full hours: simple start

For full hours, Dutch is very similar to English.

• Het is twaalf uur. – It is twelve o’clock.
• Het is drie uur. – It is three o’clock.
• Het is acht uur. – It is eight o’clock.

Pattern:

• Het is + number + uur

3. Minutes past and to the hour

For 5 or 10 minutes past or to, Dutch is again close to English.

So:

• over = past
• voor = to

4. The Dutch “half”: the most important difference

This is the point most English speakers need to focus on.

• In English: half past twelve = 12:30.
• In Dutch: half één = 12:30, not 1:30.

Literally, Dutch counts “half to” the next hour, not “half past” the previous one.

Rule:

• half + next hour

Common mistake to avoid:

• half twaalf for 12:30 – this actually means 11:30 in Dutch.
• 12:30 is half één.

5. “Quarter past” and “quarter to”

With quarters, Dutch again talks about the nearest full hour, just like English.

• kwart over = quarter past
• kwart voor = quarter to

So:

• Use kwart over + current hour (15 past).
• Use kwart voor + next hour (15 to).

6. Which hour do I say: current or next?

Many learners find this confusing. Use this visual rule:

1. Look at the minutes.
2. Is it between :01 and :29? → Talk about the current hour.
3. Is it between :31 and :59? → Talk about the next hour.

Special point:

• half always goes with the next hour.

7. Quick step‑by‑step: from digits to a Dutch sentence

Use this mini algorithm when you see a digital time.

1. Check the minutes.
2. Choose one of these patterns:

• :00 → Het is + hour + uur
  13:00 → Het is één uur.
• :01–:14 → Het is + minutes + over + current hour
  08:10 → Het is tien over acht.
• 15 → Het is kwart over + current hour
  16:15 → Het is kwart over vier.
• 16–29 → still over + current hour
  (not in your table, but the logic is the same if you meet it)
• 30 → Het is half + next hour
  09:30 → Het is half tien.
• 31–44 → often said with voor half + next hour (later level).
• 45 → Het is kwart voor + next hour
  18:45 → Het is kwart voor zeven.
• 46–59 → Het is + minutes + voor + next hour
  10:50 → Het is tien voor elf.

8. Self‑check: can you explain this to yourself?

Use these quick questions to test your understanding.

1. Can you say in Dutch:
   • It is 12:15 → Het is kwart over twaalf.
   • It is 12:30 → Het is half één.
   • It is 12:45 → Het is kwart voor één.
   • It is 12:50 → Het is tien voor één.
2. Can you explain in your own words:
   • Why half één is 12:30 and not 1:30?
   • When you use over and when you use voor?

If you can do this without looking at the table, you are ready to use these forms in real conversations.

9. What to pay special attention to

• Half = half to the next hour, not half past in English logic.
• Use kwart over with the current hour (quarter past).
• Use kwart voor with the next hour (quarter to).
• Use over for minutes past, voor for minutes to.
• Always answer with Het is …, never just the time alone in this level.

If you keep these points in mind, you can already talk clearly about time in Dutch at A1 level.