TIME
Date & Time
Creates a time value from hour, minute, and second components.
Translations
EnglishTIME
FrenchTEMPS
SpanishNSHORA
GermanZEIT
ItalianORARIO
PortugueseTEMPO
DutchTIJD
PolishCZAS
RussianВРЕМЯ
TurkishZAMAN
CzechČAS
HungarianIDŐ
SwedishKLOCKSLAG
DanishKLOKKESLÆT
FinnishAIKA
Syntax
TIME(hour, minute, second)Arguments
hourHour (0-23)minuteMinute (0-59)secondSecond (0-59)
Examples
=TIME(14,30,0)2:30 PM
Creates 2:30 PM
=TIME(9,0,0)9:00 AM
Creates 9:00 AM
=TIME(A1,B1,0)Time from cells
Builds time from components
Tips & Best Practices
- •Values can exceed normal ranges
- •TIME(25,0,0) = 1:00 AM next day
- •Combine with DATE for datetime
Common Mistakes
- •Passing an hour value over 23 expecting an error - TIME actually wraps it around, so TIME(25,0,0) returns 1:00 AM, not an error
- •Forgetting TIME returns a decimal fraction of a day, which needs proper time formatting on the cell to actually display as a clock time instead of a small decimal
- •Building a time from separate hour/minute/second columns without validating the inputs first, so an out-of-range minute or second value silently rolls over into the hour
Related Functions
TIMEVALUEConverts a text string that looks like a time into an actual time value, rather than building one from separate numbers.HOURExtracts just the hour component from an existing time value, essentially the reverse operation.NOWReturns the current date and time, which can be combined with TIME for calculations.Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I pass an hour greater than 23 to TIME?
It wraps around - TIME(25,0,0) returns 1:00 AM, the same as if you'd added a full day and kept only the time portion.
Why does my TIME formula show a decimal number instead of a clock time?
The cell needs time formatting applied - TIME returns the correct underlying value (a fraction of a 24-hour day), but the cell format controls how it displays.
Can TIME combine values from separate hour, minute, and second columns?
Yes, that's its main use case: =TIME(A1,B1,C1) where each column holds one part of the time.
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