Asking for the time, and "mezza" vs "mezzo"

Salve! Which is most correct when asking for the time: "Che ore sono?" or simply "Che ore?" And, is there a difference between mezzo and mezza (eg: sette e mezzo vs dieci e mezza) such as one perhaps means "half-past XX" and the other means "XX-thirty" ? And which is most correct? Grazie. Karen

Ciao Someday Traveler, there are two ways to as ask someone the time . Here they are : "Che ora è?" or "Che ore sono?". "Half past" in Italian is "e mezzo" or "e mezza". Both are correct. If you would like to say "it's half past seven", in Italian it will be : Sono le sette e mezzo (or e mezza). If you would like to say "it's seven thirty", you will say "sono le sette e trenta". The first option is the most used. I hope this helps! Ciao :)

Yes, that answered my questions. Grazie mille.

Prego :)