What Does Quarter To Mean?
“Quarter to” is often the trickiest of the common time phrases for beginners, because unlike “quarter past” and “half past”, it refers to the upcoming hour rather than the current one.
Where the phrase comes from
Just like “quarter past”, this phrase is built around dividing an hour into four 15-minute quarters. “Quarter to” means there are 15 minutes still remaining until the next hour begins — in other words, three of the four quarters have already passed (45 minutes), leaving one quarter (15 minutes) still to go.
What it looks like on the clock
When it is quarter to any hour, the minute hand points directly at the 9 on the clock face, since 9 × 5 = 45 minutes. The minute hand has travelled three quarters of the way around the clock.
The hour hand will be about three quarters of the way from one number to the next, and getting close to the next hour number, since 45 minutes of the current hour have already gone by. Our guide to the hour hand explains this gradual movement in more detail.
The part that confuses beginners
The important trick with “quarter to” is that you name the hour that is coming next, not the hour that has just passed. For example, if the hour hand is close to the 5 but hasn’t reached it yet, the time is “quarter to five” — not “quarter to four”, even though the hour hand is still in the space after the 4.
Writing it digitally
This is where a second twist appears. On a digital clock, quarter to is always written with 45 after the colon, but the hour number is the one that has just passed, which is one less than the hour you say out loud. Quarter to eight is written 7:45, and quarter to five is 4:45.
| We say | Digital time | Minute hand points to |
|---|---|---|
| Quarter to one | 12:45 | 9 |
| Quarter to three | 2:45 | 9 |
| Quarter to six | 5:45 | 9 |
| Quarter to eight | 7:45 | 9 |
| Quarter to twelve | 11:45 | 9 |
Notice the wrap-around at the top of the clock. Quarter to one is 12:45, because the hour before one is twelve, and quarter to twelve is 11:45.
Worked examples
Example 1: quarter to eight. If someone says “it’s quarter to eight”, the minute hand points at the 9 (45 minutes), and the hour hand sits just before the 8. Written digitally, this is 7:45.
Example 2: quarter to one. The minute hand is on the 9 and the hour hand is close to the 1. The next hour is one, so we say quarter to one. The hour that has just passed is twelve, so the digital time is 12:45.
Example 3: reading a digital time. A digital clock shows 3:45. The minutes are 45, so it is a quarter to the next hour. The next hour after 3 is 4, so we say “quarter to four”.
A simple method
- Find the minute hand. If it points to the 9, it is quarter to.
- Find the next hour number. This is the number the hour hand is heading toward.
- Say “quarter to” and that number. For example, “quarter to nine”.
- To write it digitally, use the number before it, followed by :45.
Other ways of saying it
Some people say “fifteen minutes to eight” or “a quarter to eight”, and in some parts of the United States you may hear “a quarter of eight” or “a quarter till eight”. They all describe 7:45. The same “to” pattern also works for other times on the left side of the clock, such as “ten to” and “five to”.
Common mistakes
- Naming the wrong hour. Quarter to eight is 7:45, not 8:45. Name the hour that is coming next.
- Writing the spoken hour digitally. The digital time uses the hour that has just passed, so quarter to eight is written 7:45.
- Reading the 9 as nine minutes. The minute hand on the 9 means 45 minutes past the hour.
- Confusing it with quarter past. Quarter past means 15 minutes after the hour (minute hand on the 3). Quarter to means 15 minutes before the next hour (minute hand on the 9).
Try it yourself
Work out each answer, then check it below.
- Write “quarter to six” as a digital time.
- Which number does the minute hand point to at quarter to any hour?
- How would you say 12:45 in words?
- What time is 15 minutes after 3:45?
- The hour hand is about three quarters of the way from the 2 to the 3, and the minute hand points to the 9. What time is it?
Answers: (1) 5:45. (2) The 9. (3) Quarter to one. (4) 4:00, which is four o’clock. (5) 2:45, or quarter to three.
Frequently asked questions
How many minutes is quarter to?
It is 15 minutes before the next hour, which is the same as 45 minutes past the current hour.
Where is the minute hand at quarter to?
On the 9, three quarters of the way round the clock from the 12.
Why is quarter to written with the earlier hour?
Because on a digital clock the hour changes only when the minute hand returns to the 12. At 7:45 the hour is still seven, even though we say “quarter to eight”.
What comes after quarter to?
The next o’clock, 15 minutes later. After quarter to eight comes eight o’clock.
Practise it with TimeTutor
Because “quarter to” involves this forward-looking naming pattern, it’s worth extra practice. TimeTutor includes multiple lessons specifically on quarter to, paired directly with quarter past and half past so learners can compare all three side by side.
Ready to practise this with a real, interactive clock?
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