Basic Vietnamese Lesson 13.4: Time of the Day in Vietnamese239

Overview

In this lesson, we will learn how to tell the time in Vietnamese. We will cover both the 12-hour and 24-hour formats, as well as how to ask and answer questions about the time.

Telling the Time in Vietnamese

To tell the time in Vietnamese, we use the following format:

Giờ + number + phút/giờ + (sáng/chiều/tối)

For example:

Giờ bảy phút mười sáng

7:10 AM

Giờ mười hai giờ mười chiều

12:10 PM

Giờ bảy giờ ba mươi tối

7:30 PM

12-Hour and 24-Hour Formats

Vietnamese can use both the 12-hour and 24-hour formats to tell time. The 12-hour format is more common in everyday speech, while the 24-hour format is often used in formal settings.

To convert from the 12-hour format to the 24-hour format, simply add 12 to the hour for times in the afternoon or evening.

For example:

Giờ một giờ mười chiều (12-hour format)

13:10 (24-hour format)

Giờ tám giờ ba mươi tối (12-hour format)

20:30 (24-hour format)

Asking and Answering Questions About the Time

To ask "What time is it?" in Vietnamese, we can say:

Mấy giờ rồi?

To answer a question about the time, simply use the format outlined above.

For example:

A: Mấy giờ rồi?

What time is it?

B: Giờ mười hai giờ mười chiều.

It is 12:10 PM.

Additional Vocabulary

Here are some additional vocabulary words related to time:
Sáng - morning
Chiều - afternoon
Tối - evening
Đêm - night
Ngày - day
Tuần - week
Tháng - month
Năm - year

Practice

Try to tell the following times in Vietnamese using both the 12-hour and 24-hour formats:
8:30 AM
2:15 PM
9:45 PM
11:00 PM

Answers:
Giờ tám giờ ba mươi sáng (12-hour format); 08:30 (24-hour format)
Giờ hai giờ mười lăm chiều (12-hour format); 14:15 (24-hour format)
Giờ chín giờ bốn mươi lăm tối (12-hour format); 21:45 (24-hour format)
Giờ mười một giờ đêm (12-hour format); 23:00 (24-hour format)

2024-12-11

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