/time

Changes or queries the in-game time. Can set time to specific values or named periods (day, night, noon, midnight).

Overview

Changes or queries the in-game time. Can set time to specific values or named periods (day, night, noon, midnight). In vanilla Minecraft Java Edition it is one of the time & weather commands and has been available since version 1.0.

It is invoked as /time and accepts 2 required arguments ( and ).

One Minecraft day = 24000 ticks = 20 real-time minutes. Named times: day=1000, noon=6000, sunset=12000, night=13000, midnight=18000, sunrise=23000.

One Minecraft day is 24000 ticks (about 20 real minutes). Named values map to fixed ticks: day=1000, noon=6000, sunset=12000, night=13000, midnight=18000.

set jumps to an absolute time and resets the day counter; add advances time while preserving the running day total.

Syntax & Arguments

/time <add|query|set> <value>

The full syntax is /time . Angle brackets < > mark required arguments and square brackets [ ] mark optional ones; a vertical bar | between words means you pick exactly one of those literals. You must always supply and .

action: Required, of type a literal. add = add ticks; query = display time; set = set time.
value: Required, of type an integer. Time in ticks, or a named value (day=1000, noon=6000, night=13000, midnight=18000). For query: daytime, gametime, or day.

Parameters

Name	Type	Required	Description
action	literal	Required	add = add ticks; query = display time; set = set time.
value	integer	Required	Time in ticks, or a named value (day=1000, noon=6000, night=13000, midnight=18000). For query: daytime, gametime, or day.

Examples

The 3 examples below are ready to copy and adapt. For instance, /time set day sets the time to dawn (1000 ticks). Each example varies the arguments to show a different real use of /time; read the note under every snippet to see exactly what changes.

/time set day

Sets the time to dawn (1000 ticks).

/time add 24000

Advances the time by one full Minecraft day (24000 ticks).

/time query daytime

Displays the current time of day in ticks (0-24000).

Permission Level & Requirements

/time sits at permission Level 2 - Game Master / Cheats, which means it needs permission level 2, the level cheats grant to single-player worlds and that operators hold by default.

In a single-player world you must have "Allow Cheats" turned on (or open the world to LAN with cheats) before it will run; on a multiplayer server the player needs to be an operator at the matching level.

This reference describes the Java Edition 1.21 form of the command; Bedrock Edition may use slightly different argument formats.

Common Mistakes

Confusing 'day' (1000 ticks, sunrise) with 0 ticks (6:00 AM), named values correspond to specific times, not 0.
Not realizing /time set resets the day counter, use /time add to preserve the day count.

Notes

One Minecraft day = 24000 ticks = 20 real-time minutes. Named times: day=1000, noon=6000, sunset=12000, night=13000, midnight=18000, sunrise=23000.

Related Commands

If /time is part of your toolkit, the commands below are the ones you will most often reach for alongside it: /weather and /gamerule. They cover closely related tasks, so the links above jump straight to each one.

/weather

/gamerule

Frequently Asked Questions about /time

What does the /time command do in Minecraft?

Changes or queries the in-game time. Can set time to specific values or named periods (day, night, noon, midnight). It belongs to the time & weather command group and was added in Java Edition 1.0.

What is the correct syntax for /time?

/time . The required arguments are action and value.

What permission level does /time need?

It requires permission Level 2 - Game Master / Cheats. On a server the player must be an operator at that level, or have cheats enabled in single-player.

What is a common mistake when using /time?

Confusing 'day' (1000 ticks, sunrise) with 0 ticks (6:00 AM), named values correspond to specific times, not 0.

Can you give an example of /time in use?

Yes. /time add 24000 — advances the time by one full Minecraft day (24000 ticks).

How many ticks are in a Minecraft day?

24000 ticks, which is roughly 20 minutes of real time. /time set day is 1000 ticks (dawn), noon is 6000 and midnight is 18000.

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