Numbers & Time
This short guide covers the essentials of telling time and using numbers in English, with quick examples to make each point clear.
Numbers
Numbers in English follow a consistent pattern that becomes predictable once you learn the basic words for 1‑20, the tens, and how to form compound numbers.
Basic Numbers
Basic numbers from 1 to 20 have unique names you should memorize as they form the foundation for all larger numbers.
| English Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| one | eleven |
| two | twelve |
| three | thirteen |
| four | fourteen |
| five | fifteen |
| six | sixteen |
| seven | seventeen |
| eight | eighteen |
| nine | nineteen |
| ten | twenty |
| English Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| ☕ "I have one cup of coffee." | I have one cup of coffee. |
| 🍩 "She bought two donuts." | She bought two donuts. |
| 🥖 "Three baguettes, please." | Three baguettes, please. |
| 🍎 "I want four apples." | I want four apples. |
| 🧀 "Five cheeses on the platter." | Five cheeses on the platter. |
| 🍊 "Six oranges in the basket." | Six oranges in the basket. |
| 🍓 "Seven cups of strawberries." | Seven cups of strawberries. |
| 🥚 "Eight eggs in the carton." | Eight eggs in the carton. |
| 🍯 "Nine jars of honey." | Nine jars of honey. |
| 🍞 "Ten loaves of bread." | Ten loaves of bread. |
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Tens
Tens are formed by distinct words like thirty, forty, and fifty, and they serve as building blocks for larger numbers.
| English Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| twenty | seventy |
| thirty | eighty |
| forty | ninety |
| fifty | one hundred |
| sixty | one thousand |
| English Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🍵 "Twenty cups of tea." | Twenty cups of tea. |
| 🥐 "Thirty croissants on the table." | Thirty croissants on the table. |
| 🍶 "Forty bottles of juice." | Forty bottles of juice. |
| 🥕 "Fifty carrots in the pile." | Fifty carrots in the pile. |
| 🍇 "Sixty grapes in the bowl." | Sixty grapes in the bowl. |
| 🍪 "Seventy cookies in the jar." | Seventy cookies in the jar. |
| 🍉 "Eighty slices of watermelon." | Eighty slices of watermelon. |
| 🥜 "Ninety handfuls of nuts." | Ninety handfuls of nuts. |
| 🍒 "One hundred cherries." | One hundred cherries. |
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Compound Numbers
Compound numbers between the tens are formed by joining the ten and unit with a hyphen in writing and a slight pause in speech, such as twenty-one or thirty-five.
| English Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| twenty-one | thirty-two |
| forty-five | fifty-six |
| sixty-seven | seventy-eight |
| eighty-nine | ninety-three |
| English Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🥖 "Twenty-one baguettes." | Twenty-one baguettes. |
| 🍊 "Thirty-two oranges." | Thirty-two oranges. |
| 🍓 "Forty-five cups of strawberries." | Forty-five cups of strawberries. |
| 🥚 "Fifty-eight eggs." | Fifty-eight eggs. |
| 🍯 "Sixty-three jars of honey." | Sixty-three jars of honey. |
| 🍞 "Seventy-seven loaves of bread." | Seventy-seven loaves of bread. |
| 🍪 "Eighty-nine cookies." | Eighty-nine cookies. |
| 🍒 "Ninety-six cherries." | Ninety-six cherries. |
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Time
Telling time in English uses the 12-hour clock with a.m. and p.m. for clarity, and common expressions like quarter past, half past, and quarter to make spoken time intuitive.
Hours
Hours are stated first, followed by o'clock for exact times, or by minutes for more precise times; in speech, the 12-hour clock is standard.
| English Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| one o'clock | six o'clock |
| two o'clock | seven o'clock |
| three o'clock | eight o'clock |
| four o'clock | nine o'clock |
| five o'clock | ten o'clock |
| English Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🕗 "The bakery opens at eight o’clock." | The bakery opens at eight o’clock. |
| 🕙 "It closes at ten o’clock." | It closes at ten o’clock. |
| 🕕 "I arrived at six o’clock." | I arrived at six o’clock. |
| 🕘 "We left at nine o’clock." | We left at nine o’clock. |
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Minutes
Minutes are expressed by stating the number of minutes past the hour, or minutes to the next hour, with common fractions expressed as quarter and half.
| English Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| five past six | twenty to seven |
| ten past six | quarter to seven |
| quarter past six | half past six |
| twenty past six | ten to seven |
| twenty-five past six | five to seven |
| English Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| ⏰ "The bread will be ready in fifteen minutes." | The bread will be ready in fifteen minutes. |
| 🕡 "The meeting is at half past six." | The meeting is at half past six. |
| 🕞 "The delivery comes at quarter to three." | The delivery comes at quarter to three. |
| 🕓 "The class starts at quarter past four." | The class starts at quarter past four. |
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A.M. and P.M.
Use a.m. to indicate times from midnight to noon, and p.m. for times from noon to midnight; these markers avoid confusion especially in writing and schedules.
| English Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| 6:00 a.m. | 6:00 p.m. |
| 7:15 a.m. | 7:15 p.m. |
| 8:30 a.m. | 8:30 p.m. |
| 9:45 a.m. | 9:45 p.m. |
| 10:00 a.m. | 10:00 p.m. |
| English Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🌅 "I eat breakfast at 7 a.m." | I eat breakfast at 7 a.m. |
| 🌇 "The cafe closes at 8 p.m." | The cafe closes at 8 p.m. |
| 🛎️ "Delivery arrives at 9 a.m." | Delivery arrives at 9 a.m. |
| 💡 "I bake bread at 6 p.m." | I bake bread at 6 p.m. |
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Summary
Numbers and time expressions in English rely on memorizing basic number words, using the 12-hour clock format, and applying common phrases for minutes to make telling time natural and clear.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025