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TIME Function

Excel 2007+

Summary

The Excel TIME function converts separate hour, minute, and second values into a single time serial number that Excel recognizes as a time value. This creates a decimal fraction of a day representing the specified time.

Syntax

TIME(hour, minute, second)

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
hour	`Number`	Yes	Hour value (0-32767). Automatically converts excess hours to days
minute	`Number`	Yes	Minute value (0-32767). Excess minutes convert to hours
second	`Number`	Yes	Second value (0-32767). Excess seconds convert to minutes

Using the TIME Function

TIME is perfect for building time values from numeric components, especially when creating times dynamically from cell references or calculations. Excel stores times as decimal fractions where 12:00 PM = 0.5 (half a day). The function automatically normalizes overflow values.

Common TIME Examples

Basic Time Creation

=TIME(14,30,0)

Returns 2:30 PM as a time serial number (approximately 0.604167) that displays as 2:30:00 PM when formatted.

Overflow Handling

=TIME(27,0,0)

27 hours converts to 3:00 AM (27 mod 24 = 3). Shows Excel's automatic day/hour normalization.

Excess Minutes/Seconds

=TIME(0,90,120)

90 minutes = 1 hour 30 minutes; 120 seconds = 2 minutes. Result: 1:32:02 AM.

From Cell References

=TIME(A1,B1,C1)

Combines hour (A1=16), minute (B1=48), second (C1=10) to create 4:48:10 PM.

Frequently Asked Questions

Excel divides by 24 and uses the remainder as hours. TIME(48,0,0) = 0:00 AM (exactly 2 days).

Returns a decimal number (time serial). Format the cell as Time to display properly.

Yes. TIME(14.5,0,0) = 2:30 PM since 0.5 hours = 30 minutes.

Common Errors and Solutions

#VALUE! error

Cause: Non-numeric values in hour, minute, or second arguments

Solution: Ensure all arguments are numbers or numeric cell references

Incorrect time display

Cause: Cell formatted as General instead of Time

Solution: Apply Time number format to see proper time display

Notes

TIME returns values from 0 (12:00 AM) to <1 (11:59:59 PM)
Date+Time = NOW() or DATE()+TIME()
Negative values not supported - use MOD() for wrapping
Essential for dynamic time creation in formulas

Compatibility

Available in: Excel 2007, Excel 2010, Excel 2013, Excel 2016, Excel 2019, Excel 2021, Microsoft 365

Not available in:

Content last reviewed: December 9, 2025
Update frequency: As needed
Excel versions tested: Excel 2007+