When is Numerot ja kellonajat used?

Kello on kolme. (It's three o'clock.) Kello on puoli neljä. (It's half past three — lit. 'half four').

Numerot ja kellonajat

A1 — Numerot

Numbers 1-100, ordinals, telling time in Finnish

I can use numbers 1-100 and tell time in Finnish.

Examples

Minulla on kolme kissaa. — I have three cats.
Kello on puoli viisi. — It's half past four.
Bussi tulee kello kahdeksalta. — The bus comes at eight o'clock.

NumerotA1

Numbers & Time

Numbers 1-100, ordinals, telling time in Finnish

Learning Goal

I can use numbers 1-100 and tell time.

Exam Skills:YKI 1: KirjoittaminenYKI 1: Puhuminen

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

Minulla on kolme kissaa.

I have three cats.

Kello on puoli viisi.

It's half past four.

Bussi tulee kello kahdeksalta.

The bus comes at eight o'clock.

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

Numbers & Time

Finnish numbers are straightforward: teens = number + toista (of the second ten), tens = number + kymmentä. Time: 'puoli neljä' = half past three (half OF four, like German 'halb vier').

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

Practice Exercises

Confusing 'puoli neljä' (= 3:30, half of four). Numbers after 2 require partitive of the noun (kaksi koiraa).

Common Error Patterns

Wrong interpretation of 'puoli X'

Puoli neljä = 3:30 (half of four). Like German/Russian/Czech pattern.

Forgetting partitive after numbers

After 2+: noun in partitive SINGULAR (kolme koiraa, not kolme koirat).

Minulla on kolme kissaa.

I have three cats.

Kolme + partitive (kissaa). After numbers 2+, the noun is in partitive SINGULAR.

Kello on puoli viisi.

It's half past four.

Puoli viisi = half of five = 4:30. Like German 'halb fünf' or Russian 'половина пятого'.

Bussi tulee kello kahdeksalta.

The bus comes at eight o'clock.

Kahdeksan → kahdeksalta (ablative = 'at' a time). Time 'at X' uses ablative.

Practice in course

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

A1 Course

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Put it into practice

Try a free exercise from the course

Frequently asked questions

When is Numerot ja kellonajat used?: Kello on kolme. (It's three o'clock.) Kello on puoli neljä. (It's half past three — lit. 'half four').
What are common mistakes with Numerot ja kellonajat?: Confusing 'puoli neljä' (= 3:30, half of four). Numbers after 2 require partitive of the noun (kaksi koiraa).