Telling Time In Irish: #1 Amazing Fact & Vocabulary List

Do you know how to talk about time in Irish? What if someone is asking you about the time? Will you be able to respond appropriately? This blog post aims to tell you all about asking and telling time in Irish. So let’s get started!

Telling time in Ireland

Let’s learn some of the most common facts about time in Ireland and enough vocabulary to talk about time in the Irish language like a pro.

Is punctuality important in Ireland?

Punctuality is not considered necessary in Ireland. Around 41.2% believe punctuality is an important construct to keep in mind. This number is way lower compared to Sweden and Germany.

You might not find Irish people who are punctual, be at business meetings, social gatherings, family or events. Irish people tend to be late.

Although, you will notice that Irish people do not get late for more than fifteen minutes, and if they do, they should notify the other person to reschedule. It is crucial in Irish business culture.

An Irish person might have various excuses, or maybe legit issues like buying a bouquet or flower for the host family. It should not be that big of a problem, and if you are working with Irish people, you should get used to them being slightly late.

Are the Irish known for being late?

We should not be stereotyping anyone, but there are some simple facts about a culture that become a part of its identity. The same goes for being late and Irish people. Irish people are known for their traits that the foreigners often find incredibly annoying, which is they get very late.

Irish people consider the deadlines provided as suggestive and not definitive. That is why they tend to accommodate their work according to the deadline less than adapting their deadline for their tasks.

Are Irish people not productive?

The productivity level of Irish people is as good as in many other countries like France, Sweden, Germany, etc. However, the motivation to work and satisfaction level also plays a vital role in Irish productivity.

Irish satisfaction level seems to be slightly lower than in other countries that emphasize other factors than just working and paying for their family. We might think that time does not affect their productivity much by taking this factor out.

Is it rude to be late in Ireland?

Irish people have an extremely flexible attitude towards time and punctuality. Most of the time, even your host or boss might be expecting you to be slightly late, so that’s not that big of a problem in Ireland. If someone invites you over and you go late, it would never be considered rude in Ireland.

What’s important is that you should never be late if that causes a problem for you or someone else. If you have an Irish colleague and they might get into trouble by you being late, then that would be considered extremely rude.

Irish people are polite towards each other and try to be as nice as possible, so they say thank you a lot. So try to be on time, if that is important for someone else, but if it’s about you and your condition, then there is no need to be always on time, at least in Ireland.

However, we must say that being on time might leave a good impression, so you should be on time.

Asking and Telling Time In Irish

Telling time in Irish

Got a glimpse into the importance of time in Irish culture? Let’s also look at ways to ask questions related to time and answer them. Let’s begin!

Cén t-am é?

Before we get into all the details of telling time in the Irish language, it is important to know how to ask for time in the Irish language. The most common way of asking the time in the Irish language is by asking “Cén t-am é?” (kayn tam ay), meaning “What time it is?.”

Tá sé

To tell the time you can use “tá sé…” which means “it is…” in the Irish language. For instance, you might say “tá sé deich chun,” which means “It’s ten to” and you can add any number afterward.

A chlog

Let’s also learn about another helpful term that will make the process of time saying even easier for you: A chlog (uh Khlog). 

“A chlog” literally means “o’clock”. Feel free to add this at the end of any time to make it sound more Irish and appropriate. For instance, the phrase “Tá sé 3 a chlog” means “It is 3 o’clock”.

Let’s look at telling about 12 hours in the same manner:

Irish phrasesRomanized IrishEnglish Translations
Tá sé 1 a chlog.Tuh seh 1 uh khlogIt is 1 o’clock.
Tá sé 2 a chlog.Tuh Seh 2 uh khlog.It is 2 o’clock.
Tá sé 3 a chlog.Tuh Seh 3 uh khlog.It is 3 o’clock.
Tá sé 4 a chlog.Tuh Seh 4 uh khlog.It is 4 o’clock.
Tá sé 5 a chlog.Tuh Seh 5 uh khlog.It is 5 o’clock.
Tá sé 6 a chlog.Tuh Seh 6 uh khlog.It is 6 o’clock.
Tá sé 7 a chlog.Tuh Seh 7 uh khlog.It is 7 o’clock.
Tá sé 8 a chlog.Tuh Seh 8 uh khlog.It is 8 o’clock.
Tá sé 9 a chlog.Tuh Seh 9 uh khlog.It is 9 o’clock.
Tá sé 10 a chlog.Tuh Seh 10 uh khlog.It is 10 o’clock.
Tá sé 11 a chlog.Tuh Seh 11 uh khlog.It is 11 o’clock.
Tá sé 12 a chlog.Tuh Seh 12 uh khlog.It is 12 o’clock.

Complete Vocab List

Here is a complete vocab list for you to check out. If you wish to make your answer more precise, you should check out another useful blog post: Date and time in Irish.

Irish WordsRomanized IrishEnglish Translations
A HaonUh HaynOne
A DóUh DohTwo
A TríUh TreeThree
A CeathairUh Ka-HirFour
A CúigUh Koo-IgFive
A SéUh ShayTo Six
A SeachtUh ShakhtSeven
A HochtUh HokhtEight
A NaoiUh NeeNine
A DeichUh JehTen
A Haon DéagUh Hayn JaygEleven
A Dó DhéagUh Doh YegTwelve
FicheFee-HyehTwenty
Fiche A CúigFee-Hyeh Uh Koo-IgTwenty-Five
Meán LaeMyahn LayIt Is Noon
A Dó Dhéag A ChlogUh Doh Yeg Uh KlogTwelve O’clock
Trí A ChlogTree Uh KlogThree O’clock
Leathuair Tar ÉisLaeer Taar EsHalf Past
RáitheRai-ThayQuarter
ClogKlogClock
UairU-AirHour
CaiteKaeetePast
A ChlogA KlogO’clock

Wrapping Up

Learn Irish Ling

Telling time in Irish is as necessary as in any other language. Get ready to practice until you master what you have learned in this post. We hope that you had a lot to learn and that you are ready for your trip to Ireland.

Ling App is what you need if you want to study more Irish words and grammar! We aim to improve your knowledge about the languages spoken and cultures present worldwide, particularly the beautiful Irish language. We intend to connect people worldwide and help them learn something new every day. 

Knowledge is the best asset anyone can possess, and since Ling App has that, you should download it right away and get the best of each language. 

Happy Learning!

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