Somali dates and times Qoraal understands
Qoraal reads Somali dates and times the way people actually say them, including the traditional Somali clock, which counts hours from sunrise and sunset. This page lists the words and how Qoraal turns each one into a time.
Days
| Somali | English | Qoraal sets |
|---|---|---|
| maanta | today | today's date |
| beri / berri | tomorrow | tomorrow's date |
| Isniin, Talaado, Arbaco, Khamiis, Jimce, Sabti, Axad | Monday to Sunday | the next such day |
| maalin kasta | every day | a daily repeat |
| toddobaad kasta | every week | a weekly repeat |
| bil kasta | every month | a monthly repeat |
| maalmaha shaqada | working days | a weekdays repeat |
Parts of the day
| Somali | English |
|---|---|
| subaxnimo / aroor | morning |
| duhurnimo | midday |
| galabnimo | afternoon |
| caawa / fiid | this evening, tonight |
| habeenimo | at night |
The Somali clock
The traditional Somali clock starts counting at 6 in the morning and 6 in the evening, so "saacadda koowaad" (the first hour) is 7:00. Qoraal follows the rule its users asked for: at night, 6 to 11 are read on the ordinary clock and 12 is midnight, so "8 habeenimo" is 20:00. Hours 1 to 5 at night are read on the Somali clock, so "saddex caawa" is 21:00. In the morning and afternoon the Somali clock is used only where it fits that part of the day.
| You write | Qoraal reads |
|---|---|
| 8 habeenimo | 20:00 |
| saddex caawa | 21:00 |
| beri 10-ka subaxnimo | tomorrow 10:00 |
| 3 galabnimo | 15:00 |
Relative times
Qoraal turns a time said as a distance from now into an exact time. The message needs a word that means "from now" — kadib, dabadeed, gudahood, in, after or within — so "orod 5 daqiiqo" (run for 5 minutes) is not mistaken for a reminder.
| You write | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 5 daqiiqo kadib | in 5 minutes |
| laba saacadood kadib | in 2 hours |
| nus saac kadib | in half an hour |
| saddex maalmood kadib | in 3 days |
| toddobaad kadib | in a week |
Times are worked out in your own time zone. Qoraal's default is East Africa Time (Mogadishu, UTC+3).
Questions people ask
What time is "saddex caawa" in Somali time?
21:00 (9pm). On the Somali clock hours are counted from 6pm in the evening, so the third hour of the night is 9pm. Qoraal reads it that way.
What does "beri" mean?
"Beri" (also written "berri") means tomorrow in Somali. Qoraal sets a task written with "beri" for the next day.