time.strftime() function in Python (original) (raw)

Last Updated : 08 Mar, 2025

**time.strftime(format[, t]) function in Python’s time module converts a given time tuple ****(t)** or struct_time object into a formatted string based on the specified format. If **t is not provided, the function uses the current local time. The format must be a string and a ValueError is raised if any field in **t is out of range. Example:

Python `

import time

t = time.localtime() fmt_time = time.strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S", t) # format time

print(fmt_time)

Output

2025-03-08 11:01:08

**Syntax:

time.strftime(format[, t])

**Parameters:

**format (str): string containing format codes that define how the output should be structured.
**t (optional): time structure (e.g., from gmtime() or localtime()). If omitted, the current local time is used.

**Returns: Returns a formatted string representing the time.

**Points to remember:

**0 is a valid argument for any position in the time tuple, if it is normally illegal, the value is adjusted to a correct one.
When used with the **strptime(), the %p directive only affects the hour field if %I is also used.
The range of seconds can be 0-61 due to leap seconds.
****%U** and ****%W** affect calculations only when the day of the week and year are specified.

Commonly used directives in strftime()

Directive	Meaning	Example Output
%a	Abbreviated weekday name	Tue
%A	Full weekday name	Tuesday
%b	Abbreviated month name	Jun
%B	Full month name	June
%c	Preferred date and time representation	Tue Jun 25 10:09:52 2019
%d	Day of the month (01-31)	25
%H	Hour (00-23)	10
%I	Hour (01-12)	10
%j	Day of the year (001-366)	176
%m	Month (01-12)	06
%M	Minute (00-59)	09
%S	Second (00-59)	52
%U	Week number (Sunday as the first day)	25
%W	Week number (Monday as the first day)	25
%Y	Year with century	2019
%y	Year without century (00-99)	19
%Z	Time zone name	UTC
%z	UTC offset	+0000

**Example:

Python `

from time import gmtime, strftime

using simple format of showing time

s = strftime("%a, %d %b %Y %H:%M:%S + 1010", gmtime()) print("Example 1:", s)

only change in this is the full names

and the representation

s = strftime("%A, %D %B %Y %H:%M:%S + 0000", gmtime()) print("Example 2:", s)

this will show you the preferred date time format

s = strftime("%c") print("Example 3:", s)

this will tell about the centuries

s = strftime("%C") print("Example 4:", s)

MOTY: month of the year

DOTY: Day of the year

Simple representation

% n - new line

s = strftime("%A, %D %B %Y, %r, %nMOTY:%m %nDOTY:% j") print("Example 5:", s)

% R - time in 24 hour notation

s = strftime(" %R ") print("Example 6:", s)

% H - hour, using a 24-hour clock (00 to 23) in Example 1, 2, 3

% I - hour, using a 12-hour clock (01 to 12)

s = strftime("%a, %d %b %Y %I:%M:%S + 0000", gmtime()) print("Example 7:", s)

% T - current time, equal to % H:% M:% S

s = strftime("%r, %T ", gmtime()) print("Example 8:", s)

% u an % U use (see difference)

s = strftime("%r, %u, %U") print("Example 9:", s)

use of % V, % W, % w

s = strftime("%r, %V, %W, %w") print("Example 10:", s)

use of % x, % X, % y, % Y

s = strftime("%x, %X, %y, %Y") print("Example 11:", s)

use of % Z, % z

s = strftime("%r, %z, %Z") print("Example 12:", s)

**Output

Example 1: Sat, 08 Mar 2025 11:00:10 + 1010
Example 2: Saturday, 03/08/25 March 2025 11:00:10 + 0000
Example 3: Sat Mar 8 11:00:10 2025
Example 4: 20
Example 5: Saturday, 03/08/25 March 2025, 11:00:10 AM,
MOTY:03
DOTY:% j
Example 6: 11:00
Example 7: Sat, 08 Mar 2025 11:00:10 + 0000
Example 8: 11:00:10 AM, 11:00:10
Example 9: 11:00:10 AM, 6, 09
Example 10: 11:00:10 AM, 10, 09, 6
Example 11: 03/08/25, 11:00:10, 25, 2025
Example 12: 11:00:10 AM, +0000, UTC