Lesson 2: Telling Time (Intermediate)
Quarter Past, Quarter To, and Minutes
In our A1 lessons, you learned to tell time with 'o'clock' and 'half past'. Now, we will learn how to be more precise1 by using 'quarter past', 'quarter to', and by talking about the exact minutes. This will help you understand and speak about time more naturally.
Word Bank: Phrases for Telling Time
| Phrase | Pronunciation Guide | Khmer | Meaning & Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🕒 a quarter past2 | (a kwor-ter past) | ...ដប់ប្រាំនាទី | 15 minutes after the hour. Example: "7:15 is a quarter past seven." |
| 🕝 a quarter to3 | (a kwor-ter too) | ...ខ្វះដប់ប្រាំនាទី | 15 minutes before the next hour. Example: "7:45 is a quarter to eight." |
| 🕙 minutes past4 | (min-its past) | ...[នាទី]...ហើយ | Used for minutes 1-29 after the hour. Example: "7:10 is ten minutes past seven." |
| 🕚 minutes to5 | (min-its too) | ...ខ្វះ...[នាទី] | Used for minutes 31-59, counting to the next hour. Example: "7:50 is ten minutes to eight." |
Usage Note: The Two Halves of the Clock
Think of the clock in two halves. This helps you know when to use "past" and when to use "to".
- Minutes 1-30 ➞ use PAST the current hour.
Example: 8:20 is "twenty minutes past eight." - Minutes 31-59 ➞ use TO the NEXT hour.
Example: 8:40 is "twenty minutes to nine."
In Conversation
Bora and Srey are getting ready for a meeting.
Bora: Srey, are you ready? What time is it?
Srey: It's a quarter past nine (9:15).
Bora: Oh no! The meeting is at half past nine. We only have 15 minutes!
Srey: Don't worry, the office is close. What time does the meeting finish?
Bora: It finishes at ten fifty (10:50). In other words, ten minutes to eleven.
Srey: Okay, good to know. And what time is our lunch with Maria?
Bora: Lunch is at a quarter to one (12:45). We must not be late!
quiz Check Your Understanding
1. If the clock shows 3:15, what is a common way to say it?
- a) Fifteen minutes past three
- b) A quarter past three
- c) A quarter to three
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) A quarter past three
2. If it is 10:45, you can say, "a quarter ______ eleven."
- a) past
- b) at
- c) to
Click to see the answer
Answer: c) to
3. How do you say 6:55 in English?
- a) Five minutes past seven
- b) Five minutes to seven
- c) Fifty-five minutes past six
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) Five minutes to seven
edit Your Mission
- My Schedule: Look at your schedule for tomorrow. Write two sentences using the new time phrases. (e.g., "My class starts at a quarter past eight." "I have lunch at ten minutes to one.")
- Practice Clock: Draw a clock face. Draw the hands for these times and write the time in words: 2:15, 2:45, 2:35.
- Speak: Your mission is to look at a clock with a friend. Ask them, "What time is it?" Then, try to say the time using "past" or "to".
book Lesson Glossary
- Precise (adjective) - Khmer: ច្បាស់លាស់ (chbas leah) - Exact and accurate. ↩
- a quarter past (phrase) - Khmer: ...ដប់ប្រាំនាទី (... dɑp pram neatii) - 15 minutes after the hour. ↩
- a quarter to (phrase) - Khmer: ...ខ្វះដប់ប្រាំនាទី (... khvăh dɑp pram neatii) - 15 minutes before the next hour. ↩
- minutes past (phrase) - Khmer: ...[នាទី]...ហើយ (...[neatii]... haey) - Counting the minutes after the current hour. ↩
- minutes to (phrase) - Khmer: ...ខ្វះ...[នាទី] (... khvăh ...[neatii]) - Counting the minutes forward to the next hour. ↩