Asking for the time

Basic time expressions

yıl – year

ay – month

atna – week

kön – day

səğət – hour, watch

minut – minute

sekund – second

mizgel – moment

💡 In Tatar, we use the same logic as “today” (bu + kön = bügen) for “this year” (bu + yıl = bıyıl). For “last year,” uzğan yıl and bıltır are both used.

💡 Don’t confuse yıl (year) with yəş (age, years old). Bıyıl 27 yəşne tutıram. – This year I’m turning 27 years old.

In Tatar, the hours of the day and night are primarily expressed using cardinal numbers. However, half-hours are expressed using ordinal numbers. 

Səğət niçə? - What time is it?
Səğət ber. - It is one o'clock.
Səğət ike. - It is two o'clock.

You can add following words to specify if you’re talking about AM or PM:

irtənge səğət tuğızda (at 9 AM / 9:00) – kiçke səğət tuğızda (at 9 PM / 21:00)

köndezge səğət öçtə (at 3 PM / 15:00) – tönge səğət öçtә (at 3 AM / 3:00)

Daily time expressions in Tatar

irtə – morning

kön – day

kön urtası – midday

töş, öylə – noon

kiç – evening

tön – night

tön urtası – midnight

To indicate minutes past the hour:

12:17 – Unike tulıp uncide minut. / Səğət unike də uncide. / Səğət berençe uncide minut.
09:15 – Tuğız tulıp unbiş minut. / Səğət tuğız da unbiş minut / Səğət unınçı unbiş minut. 

Half-hours are expressed using ordinals:

16:30 – Səğət bişençe yartı

To indicate minutes to the next hour, use the cardinal number of the next hour preceded by the minutes:

16:50 – Biş tulırğa un minut. / Un minuttan biş tula. / Bişkə un minut qaldı.

To indicate that it is almost a certain time:

Səğət öç tulıp kilə. - It is nearly three o'clock.
Səğət öçkə yaqınlaşa. - It's getting close to three o'clock.

💡 When indicating the time, the cardinals are placed after "səğət" (clock, hour). When indicating the number of hours, cardinals precede "səğət".

səğət ber (one o'clock) – ber səğət (one hour)
səğət ike (two o'clock) – ike səğət (two hours) 

Dates

Dates are expressed by the cardinals if the month is mentioned and by ordinals if the month is omitted:

Kürgəzmə undürtençe iyüldə açıla. – The exhibition opens on July 14th.

Kürgəzmə undürtendə açıla. – The exhibition opens on the 14th.

Yegerme berençe dekabr ide. – It was December 21st.

Kiçə yegerme berese ide. – Yesterday was the 21st.

Martnıñ 10ınnan 20senə çaqlı. – From the 10th to the 20th of March.