Southern Vietnamese
Vietnamese Clock Time
Ask what time it is, answer with Bây giờ là..., and read rưỡi and kém clock times.
The short version
Use Mấy giờ rồi? to ask the current time, then answer with Bây giờ là… plus the time.
Real-life use
Clock time helps with meetups, classes, transport, appointments, and daily plans. Start with exact hours, then add rưỡi for half past and kém for minutes before the next hour.
Core examples
| Vietnamese | English | Practice note |
|---|---|---|
| Mấy giờ rồi? | What time is it now? | Current-time question. |
| Bây giờ là hai giờ | It is two o’clock now | Answer frame. |
| Hai giờ rưỡi | 2:30 | Half past two. |
| Ba giờ kém mười lăm | 2:45 | Fifteen minutes before three. |
| Sáu giờ đúng | Exactly six o’clock | Sharp/exact time. |
Day 15 clock focus
Week 2 review + clock time
Review your Week 2 rhythm, then move into the clock phrases you need for daily plans.
Clock tip
2:30 is hai giờ rưỡi. 2:45 is ba giờ kém mười lăm, meaning fifteen minutes before three.
Ask the time
Mấy giờ rồi?
What time is it now?
Use this when you want the current time.
Answer the time
Bây giờ là hai giờ
It is two o'clock now
Use Bây giờ là + time.
Half past
Hai giờ rưỡi
Two thirty
Rưỡi means thirty minutes past.
Before next hour
Ba giờ kém mười lăm
Two forty-five
Kém counts minutes before the next hour.
Ready for the next step?
Mark this task complete, then continue without going back to the checklist.
Day 15 vocabulary focus
Vocabulary: mấy giờ, giờ, phút, rưỡi, kém, đúng
Learn the clock chunks first. Save the words that feel hard to recall.
what time
Mấy giờ?
What time?
Short time question.
hour / o clock
Giờ
Hour / o'clock
Use after the hour number.
minute
Phút
Minute
Use for exact minutes after the hour.
half past
Rưỡi
Half past
Use for thirty minutes past the hour.
before / to
Kém
Before / to
Use before the next hour: ba giờ kém mười lăm.
exactly / sharp
Đúng
Exactly / sharp
Use for an exact hour: sáu giờ đúng.
Ready for the next step?
Mark this task complete, then continue without going back to the checklist.
Day 15 speaking skill
Speaking skill: ask and read the time
Play each line, repeat it once, then answer the question with a different time from the drill.
Question
Mấy giờ rồi?
What time is it now?
Ask once, then pause for the answer.
Exact hour
Bây giờ là hai giờ
It is two o'clock now
Answer with Bây giờ là...
Half past
Bây giờ là hai giờ rưỡi
It is two thirty now
Keep rưỡi short and clear.
Before next hour
Bây giờ là ba giờ kém mười lăm
It is two forty-five now
Hear kém as before the next hour.
Ready for the next step?
Mark this task complete, then continue without going back to the checklist.
Day 15 grammar focus
Grammar note: Mấy giờ rồi? / Bây giờ là...
Use one question frame and one answer frame. Then swap the clock time.
Ask current time
Mấy giờ rồi?
Mấy giờ rồi?
What time is it now?
Rồi makes the question feel like what time is it now?
Answer frame
Bây giờ là + time
Bây giờ là hai giờ
It is two o'clock now
Use là before the time answer.
Half past
hour + giờ + rưỡi
Bây giờ là hai giờ rưỡi
It is two thirty now
2:30 becomes hai giờ rưỡi.
Minutes before
next hour + giờ + kém + minutes
Bây giờ là ba giờ kém mười lăm
It is two forty-five now
2:45 becomes ba giờ kém mười lăm.
Ready for the next step?
Mark this task complete, then continue without going back to the checklist.
Day 15 speaking exercise
Exercise: read 10 random clock times
Treat these as random clock prompts. Read the clock first, play the audio, then repeat the Vietnamese answer.
Prompt 1
1:00Một giờ
One o'clock
Exact hour.
Prompt 2
2:30Hai giờ rưỡi
Two thirty
Half past two.
Prompt 3
2:45Ba giờ kém mười lăm
Two forty-five
Fifteen minutes before three.
Prompt 4
4:10Bốn giờ mười
Four ten
Hour + minute.
Prompt 5
5:20Năm giờ hai mươi
Five twenty
Hour + two-digit minute.
Prompt 6
6:00 sharpSáu giờ đúng
Exactly six o'clock
Use đúng for sharp/exact time.
Prompt 7
6:55Bảy giờ kém năm
Six fifty-five
Five minutes before seven.
Prompt 8
8:45Tám giờ bốn mươi lăm
Eight forty-five
Direct hour + minute reading.
Prompt 9
9:15Chín giờ mười lăm
Nine fifteen
Hour + fifteen.
Prompt 10
10:30Mười giờ rưỡi
Ten thirty
Half past ten.
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Mark this task complete, then continue without going back to the checklist.
Southern Vietnamese note
In everyday Southern speech, keep clock time short and clear. If kém feels hard, you can still read the minutes directly first, then learn the more natural shortcut.
How to practice today
- Ask Mấy giờ rồi? out loud.
- Read ten clock times slowly.
- Repeat hai giờ rưỡi and ba giờ kém mười lăm until the rhythm feels automatic.
Meaning check
Quick practice
What does hai giờ rưỡi mean?
FAQ
How do you ask what time it is in Vietnamese?
Use Mấy giờ rồi? for the current time, or Mấy giờ? as a shorter time question.
What does rưỡi mean in clock time?
Rưỡi means half past, so hai giờ rưỡi means 2:30.
How does kém work in Vietnamese time?
Kém counts minutes before the next hour. Ba giờ kém mười lăm literally means fifteen minutes before three, or 2:45.
Finish this lesson
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Mark complete only after you have listened, practiced, and saved at least one useful phrase. Then continue straight to the next task.
Week 3 · Day 15 in the 90-day path
Listen to at least 3 phrases
Use normal audio first, then slow audio.
Save at least 1 phrase
Only save phrases you would actually reuse.
Finish the quiz or practice task
Check that you can recall the idea, not only read it.
Mark this page complete
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Practice panel
Keep it useful
Listen, save one useful phrase, then mark this lesson complete.