Clocks: quarter past, quarter to and minutes

The clock face cut into quarters

You already know o’clock and half past. Now we cut an hour into four parts, like a cake into quarters.

The long hand on three (a quarter of the way) = quarter past. On six = half past, you know that. On nine (three quarters of the way) = quarter to.

English tells you where you are: quarter past four, half past four, quarter to five, five o’clock. First we talk about the four we have left, then about the five that is coming.

You know quarters from a snack. An apple cut into four parts: one part is a quarter, two parts a half, three parts three quarters. An hour is cut just the same, only instead of a knife the long hand runs. One turn, four parts, sixty minutes.

And minutes? The long hand always jumps 5 minutes between two numbers on the face. Number 1 means 5 minutes, number 2 means 10 minutes… number 6 means 30. You count in fives: 5, 10, 15, 20…

Jonáš is meeting Filip “at quarter to four by the playground”. He looks at the clock: long hand on nine, short a little before four. “That’s now!” He grabs the ball and runs. Filip by the playground points at the tower clock: “Exactly quarter to four. In fifteen minutes it will be four.” Jonáš counts on his fingers in fives: nine, ten, eleven, twelve — that is 3 jumps of five… actually 15 minutes. “It matches! A quarter of an hour is fifteen minutes.” They play until the long hand reaches twelve at the top. Four o’clock, on the hour. “Home,” Filip sighs. Even the end of the game was called by the clock today.

Quarters and counting in fives

Four stops of the long hand:

• On 12 at the top: o’clock. 0 minutes have passed.
• On 3: quarter past. 15 minutes have passed.
• On 6 at the bottom: half past. 30 minutes have passed.
• On 9: quarter to. 45 minutes have passed.

A quarter of an hour = 15 minutes. Two quarters = a half = 30 minutes. Three quarters = 45 minutes. Four quarters = a whole hour = 60 minutes.

How we say it: quarter past and half past talk about the hour we have left. Quarter to talks about the hour that is coming. Quarter past four → a quarter of an hour after four. Quarter to five → three quarters of the way to five, in 15 minutes it will be five.

Minutes in fives: between neighbouring numbers on the face, 5 minutes pass. Long hand on four? Count in fives: 5, 10, 15, 20 — twenty minutes past the hour. On a phone it would show something like 8:20.

Anyone who can say the row 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60 can read every clock. Practise it like a rhyme.

Long on 3, short a little past 6. What time is it?

Long hand on three = quarter past.

The short one has left six and is going towards seven. We talk about the hour we have left: six.

It is quarter past six.

Check with minutes: three on the face = 3 jumps of five = 15 minutes. 15 minutes past six have passed. On a phone: 6:15.

How many minutes does the long hand on eight show?

I count in fives from twelve: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40.

Eight jumps of five = 40 minutes.

The long hand on eight means 40 minutes past the hour. For example 3:40.

A faster trick: eight is after the half. Half past = 30. Eight is 2 numbers further: 30 + 5 + 5 = 40. It matches.

It is quarter past nine. How long until ten o’clock?

Quarter past nine: a quarter of an hour has passed, 15 minutes past nine.

Until ten, three quarters of an hour are left.

Three quarters = 3 × a quarter of an hour = 15 + 15 + 15 = 45 minutes.

Check: 15 minutes have passed, 45 are left. Together 60 — a whole hour. It matches.

Play it

Before you go to the sheet, try it with your eyes. This is not a test — it is a game. Tap until you see it.

Practice: now you do it 🎲

Now try it for real. You will see all the questions at once, like on paper. Mulai with ten. If it goes well, add more.

Count with clocks. The face above will help you.

Practise the questions

On paper

The paper clock face from the last lesson, a pencil.

1. Draw the hands for: quarter past two, quarter to seven, half past eleven.

2. Say the row in fives: 5, 10, 15… up to 60. Twice in a row.

3. The long hand is on seven. How many minutes have passed past the hour? Count in fives.

4. Write how many minutes is: a quarter of an hour, half an hour, three quarters of an hour, a whole hour.

Now you 💪

1. I know the four stops: o’clock, quarter past, half past, quarter to.
2. I can count minutes in fives by the numbers on the face.
3. I know that quarter to five talks about five, but the short hand is past four.

What to take from this lesson

• Long on 3 = quarter past (15 minutes), on 6 = half past (30), on 9 = quarter to (45).
• Between numbers on the face there are always 5 minutes.
• Count minutes with the row 5, 10, 15…
• English says past the hour we left, and to the hour that is coming.
• An hour = 60 minutes = four quarters of an hour.

© 2026 Ing. Martin Polak / AlgoRhino · Ketentuan penggunaan konten