ora
Che ora è?
What time is it?
a period of time equal to one twenty-fourth of a day and night and divided into 60 minutes
Lavoro otto ore al giorno.
I work eight hours a day.
Used in both singular and plural forms (ora/ore) depending on context.
the present moment; now
È ora di andare.
It's time to go.
Often used with 'di' + infinitive verb (e.g., 'è ora di mangiare' = 'it's time to eat').
conjunction meaning 'now that' or 'since'
Ora che sei qui, possiamo parlare.
Now that you're here, we can talk.
Introduces a clause expressing a reason or condition.
Collocations
Antonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Time expressions
Remember that 'ora' is used for both exact hours ('che ora è?' = 'what time is it?') and general time periods ('ho lavorato due ore' = 'I worked for two hours'). The plural 'ore' is used for durations.
Gold Rule
Conjunction usage
When 'ora' means 'now that' or 'since', it introduces a subordinate clause explaining the reason for an action. Example: 'Ora che piove, restiamo in casa' = 'Now that it's raining, we're staying home'.
Word Origin
From Latin 'hōra', from Ancient Greek ὥρα (hṓra, 'hour, time, season'), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *yeh₁- ('year, season'). Related to English 'year' and 'hour'.
Usage Notes
The word 'ora' is highly polysemous in Italian, requiring context to disambiguate between time, present moment, or conjunction meanings. In speech, stress patterns often clarify meaning (e.g., 'Òra!' = 'Now!' vs. 'orà' = 'hour').