Definition
A unit of time equal to sixty minutes; also used to mean "o'clock" when telling the time.
Example
Мы встретимся через час у кафе.
Show translation
We will meet in an hour near the café.
Etymology
From Old Church Slavonic *часъ* (časŭ), meaning "hour" or "moment," related to the verb *ждать* (to wait/expect). Cognates appear across Slavic languages (Polish *czas* = "time," Czech *čas* = "time"). The root is thought to derive from Proto-Slavic *čāsŭ*, possibly connected to the idea of an appointed or awaited moment.
Cultural note
In Russian, telling the time uses *час* in a distinctive way: "один час" (one o'clock), but "два часа" (two o'clock), "пять часов" (five o'clock) — the noun changes case and number depending on the numeral. This genitive-count pattern trips up many learners. Also note the plural: *часы* (chasy) means "clock" or "watch," a completely different everyday noun that shares the same root.