Analogue Clock

An analogue clock is a round clock with moving arrows (hands).

• Hour hand: The short, thick arrow. It points to the hour.
• Minute hand: The longer, thinner arrow. It points to the minutes.
• Second hand: The longest and thinnest arrow. It moves quickly and shows seconds.

The numbers on the clock face go from 1 to 12.

Digital Clock

A digital clock shows time using numbers. It has two pairs of digits separated by a colon (:).

The first pair shows the hour, and the second pair shows the minutes. For example, 07:30 means 7 hours and 30 minutes.

Step 1: Read the hour

Look at where the hour hand (short arrow) is pointing. That number tells you the hour.

Step 2: Read the minutes

Look at where the minute hand (long arrow) is pointing. Each number on the clock stands for 5 minutes. Count by 5s from 12 in the clockwise direction until you reach the minute hand.

Step 3: Use the correct words

• When the minute hand points at 12, we say "o'clock."
• When the minute hand is at any other position, we say "minutes past" the hour.
• When the minute hand is past 6, we can also say "minutes to" the next hour.

Special words

• Half past means 30 minutes. Example: 2:30 is "half past two."
• Quarter past means 15 minutes. Example: 3:15 is "quarter past three" or "fifteen minutes past three."
• Quarter to means 45 minutes (15 minutes before the next hour). Example: 4:45 is "quarter to five."

Example 1

Read this time on an analogue clock:

The hour hand points to 7. The minute hand points to 3 (which means 15 minutes, because 3 × 5 = 15).

Answer: Quarter past 7 or 7:15

Example 2

Read this time on an analogue clock:

The hour hand points between 2 and 3. The minute hand points at 6 (which means 30 minutes).

Answer: Half past 2 or 2:30

Example 3

Read this digital time: 04:45

Answer: Quarter to 5 or 45 minutes past 4

Example 4

Write 10:10 in words.

Answer: Ten minutes past 10

Example 5

Write "twenty-five minutes past four" in numerals.

Answer: 4:25

1. Look at a real clock in your classroom or at home every day.
2. Practice telling the time with your friends in class.
3. Make your own paper clock and draw different times.
4. Ask your teacher or parents to give you a time, and you say it aloud.

In Tanzania, knowing how to read time in the 12-hour format helps you in many daily activities. For example, if your school starts at 7:30 in the morning, you need to wake up early enough to arrive on time. Similarly, when you go to the market in the morning or watch your favourite TV programme in the evening, you use the 12-hour clock to know when these activities happen.