Time
🌸 TYD IN AFRIKAANS
Telling the Time | Grade 9 Afrikaans
1. Basic Time Vocabulary
Afrikaans | English |
Tyd | Time |
Uur | Hour / o’clock |
Minuut | Minute |
Sekonde | Second |
Voor | To / before |
Oor | Past |
Kwart | Quarter (15 minutes) |
Half | Half an hour |
Middag | Afternoon / noon |
Middernag | Midnight |
Oggend | Morning |
Aand | Evening |
Nag | Night |
Stiptelik | Exactly / punctually |
2. How to Tell the Time
In Afrikaans, time is usually expressed using oor (past), voor (to), and half.
Rule 1: OOR = Past
Use oor when the minutes are after the hour.
3:15
Kwart oor drie
Quarter past three
3:20
Twintig oor drie
Twenty past three
Examples:
2:05 → Vyf oor twee.
4:10 → Tien oor vier.
6:15 → Kwart oor ses.
8:20 → Twintig oor agt.
Rule 2: VOOR = To
Use voor when counting the minutes remaining until the next hour.
Digital time | Afrikaans | English |
2:45 | Kwart voor drie | Quarter to three |
4:50 | Tien voor vyf | Ten to five |
6:55 | Vyf voor sewe | Five to seven |
8:45 | Kwart voor nege | Quarter to nine |
Important: When using voor, name the next hour, not the current one.
Rule 3: HALF = Half an hour before the next hour
This is one of the MOST important differences between Afrikaans and English!
In English, 7:30 is half past seven.
In Afrikaans, 7:30 is halfagt.
Why? Because Afrikaans counts halfway towards the next hour.
Digital time | Afrikaans |
1:30 | Half twee |
2:30 | Half drie |
3:30 | Half vier |
4:30 | Half vyf |
5:30 | Half ses |
6:30 | Half sewe |
7:30 | Half agt |
8:30 | Half nege |
9:30 | Half tien |
10:30 | Half elf |
11:30 | Half twaalf |
12:30 | Half een |
Remember: 7:30 = halfagt, NOT halfsewe.
3. Minutes Around the Half Hour
You can also express times relative to the half-hour.
Digital time | Afrikaans | English |
7:20 | Tien voor halfagt | Ten minutes before half past seven |
7:25 | Vyf voor halfagt | Five minutes before half past seven |
7:30 | Halfagt | Half past seven |
7:35 | Vyf oor halfagt | Five minutes after half past seven |
7:40 | Tien oor halfagt | Ten minutes after half past seven |
4. Writing Time in Afrikaans
Your worksheet uses digital times such as 7:30, 6:45, and 18:15.
When converting from 24-hour time, first identify the hour in 12-hour time.
For example:
18:15 → 6:15 PM → Kwart oor ses in die aand.
24-hour time | 12-hour time |
13:00 | 1:00 PM |
14:00 | 2:00 PM |
15:00 | 3:00 PM |
16:00 | 4:00 PM |
17:00 | 5:00 PM |
18:00 | 6:00 PM |
19:00 | 7:00 PM |
20:00 | 8:00 PM |
21:00 | 9:00 PM |
22:00 | 10:00 PM |
23:00 | 11:00 PM |
00:00 | Midnight |
5. Time Expressions
Afrikaans | English |
In die oggend | In the morning |
In die middag | In the afternoon |
In die aand | In the evening |
In die nag | At night |
Vandag | Today |
Môre | Tomorrow |
Gister | Yesterday |
Elke dag | Every day |
Elke oggend | Every morning |
Elke aand | Every evening |
6. Your Worksheet — Answers
Your worksheet asks you to write the numbers and times in words.
No. | Number / Time | Afrikaans in words |
1 | 5 | vyf |
22 | twee-en-twintig | |
2 | 7 | sewe |
7:30 | halfagt | |
3 | 7:00 | sewe-uur |
6:45 | kwart voor sewe | |
4 | 14 | veertien |
18:15 | kwart oor ses in die aand | |
5 | 19 | negentien |
18 | agtien | |
6 | 85 | vyf-en-tagtig |
5:20 | twintig oor vyf | |
7 | 40 | veertig |
8 | 31 | een-en-dertig |
9 | 8:30 | halfnege |
17:30 | halfses | |
10 | 900 | negehonderd |
⭐ 7. Quick Summary for Your Test
Rule | Example |
Oor = past | 3:10 → tien oor drie |
Voor = to | 3:50 → tien voor vier |
Kwart = 15 minutes | 3:15 → kwart oor drie |
Half = halfway to next hour | 3:30 → halfvier |
Voor half = before half-hour | 3:25 → vyf voor halfvier |
Oor half = after half-hour | 3:35 → vyf oor halfvier |
24-hour time | 18:00 → sesuur in die aand |