The easy way to tell time is to name the hour and then the number of minutes after the hour. Russian works just like English here: вћсемь пятнђдцать "8:15". The hard way to tell time is the more usual way. These comments concern 'after' or 'past' the hour, when the minute hand points to the right side of the clock face.
MINUTES: use the Nominative case of the numeral plus the word for 'minute'.
HOURS: use the Genitive of the ordinal numeral.
(Ordinal numerals are described in a separate section.)
Here are some answers to Скћлько врљмени? or Котћрый чђс? 'What time is it?'
Сейчђс пїть минџт пљрвого. It is now five after twelve. (Lit. 5 minutes of the first hour)
Сейчђс пїть минџт вторћго. It is now five after one. (Lit. 5 minutes of the second hour)
Сейчђс двђдцать пїть минџт трљтьего. It is now twenty five after two. (Lit. 25 minutes of the third hour)
Сейчђс двљ минџты четвёртого. It is now two after three. (Lit. 2 minutes of the fourth hour)
Сейчђс однђ минџта пїтого. It is now one after four. (Lit. 1 minute of the fifth hour)
Сейчђс чљтверть шестћго. It is quarter past five. (Lit. quarter of the sixth hour)
Сейчђс половќна десїтого. It is now half past nine. (Lit. half of the tenth hour)
Сейчђс пњлдесїтого. (Same meaning, but more colloquial.)