Collocations for talking about time

By: Collocations.org Admin
Date: 25 April 2026

Time in the English language

Time is one of the most discussed topics in any language, and English has a rich vocabulary of collocations for expressing it. From casual references to the time of day to more abstract expressions about duration and sequence, the collocations surrounding time are used constantly in everyday speech and writing. Getting them right is essential for sounding fluent and precise.

Many learners make errors with time collocations because the prepositions and verbs that accompany time expressions in English are often different from their equivalents in other languages. These differences cannot be predicted by logic — they simply have to be learned.

Verbs that go with time

Several verbs collocate strongly with the word "time" itself, each carrying a distinct meaning:

• Spend time — to use time doing something: "I spent the afternoon reading."
• Save time — to do something more efficiently: "This shortcut saves a lot of time."
• Waste time — to use time unproductively: "Stop wasting time and get started."
• Take time — to require a certain amount of time: "Learning a language takes time."
• Make time — to find space in your schedule: "You need to make time for exercise."
• Run out of time — to have no more time available: "We ran out of time before finishing."

Collocations for describing duration

• A brief moment, a short while, a long time, an extended period
• In no time at all, in the blink of an eye, before you know it
• For the time being, in due course, sooner or later, in the long run
• At the last minute, just in time, ahead of schedule, behind schedule

Collocations for sequences and deadlines

• Meet a deadline, set a deadline, beat a deadline, miss a deadline
• First and foremost, in the first instance, to begin with
• Shortly after, not long before, in the meantime, at the same time
• Once and for all, once in a while, from time to time, every now and then

Preposition + time collocations

English prepositions with time expressions follow patterns that need to be memorised:

• At: at night, at noon, at the weekend (British English), at the moment, at the time
• In: in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, in the summer, in 2020
• On: on Monday, on Christmas Day, on the first of the month, on time
• By: by noon, by the end of the week, by the time you read this

Learning time collocations in context

Time expressions crop up in virtually every conversation and piece of writing, which means you will encounter them constantly in real-world English. Make a point of noting down time collocations when you come across them, and pay particular attention to which preposition or verb accompanies each one. Building a solid bank of time collocations will make your English significantly more fluent and precise in everyday communication.