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> Documentation for the Interval special data type

# Interval

The family of data types representing time and date intervals. The resulting types of the [INTERVAL](/reference/operators/index#interval) operator.

Structure:

* Time interval as an unsigned integer value.
* Type of an interval.

Supported interval types:

* `NANOSECOND`
* `MICROSECOND`
* `MILLISECOND`
* `SECOND`
* `MINUTE`
* `HOUR`
* `DAY`
* `WEEK`
* `MONTH`
* `QUARTER`
* `YEAR`

For each interval type, there is a separate data type. For example, the `DAY` interval corresponds to the `IntervalDay` data type:

```sql theme={null}
SELECT toTypeName(INTERVAL 4 DAY)
```

```text theme={null}
┌─toTypeName(toIntervalDay(4))─┐
│ IntervalDay                  │
└──────────────────────────────┘
```

<h2 id="usage-remarks">
  Usage Remarks
</h2>

You can use `Interval`-type values in arithmetical operations with [Date](/reference/data-types/date) and [DateTime](/reference/data-types/datetime)-type values. For example, you can add 4 days to the current time:

```sql theme={null}
SELECT now() AS current_date_time, current_date_time + INTERVAL 4 DAY
```

```text theme={null}
┌───current_date_time─┬─plus(now(), toIntervalDay(4))─┐
│ 2019-10-23 10:58:45 │           2019-10-27 10:58:45 │
└─────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────┘
```

Also it is possible to use multiple intervals simultaneously:

```sql theme={null}
SELECT now() AS current_date_time, current_date_time + (INTERVAL 4 DAY + INTERVAL 3 HOUR)
```

```text theme={null}
┌───current_date_time─┬─plus(current_date_time, plus(toIntervalDay(4), toIntervalHour(3)))─┐
│ 2024-08-08 18:31:39 │                                                2024-08-12 21:31:39 │
└─────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

And to compare values with different intervals:

```sql theme={null}
SELECT toIntervalMicrosecond(3600000000) = toIntervalHour(1);
```

```text theme={null}
┌─less(toIntervalMicrosecond(179999999), toIntervalMinute(3))─┐
│                                                           1 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

<h2 id="mixed-type-intervals">
  Mixed-type Intervals
</h2>

Intervals of mixed type, e.g. multiple hours and multiple minutes, can be created using `INTERVAL 'value' <from_kind> TO <to_kind>` syntax.
The result is a tuple of two or more intervals.

Supported combinations:

| Syntax             | String format | Example                               |
| ------------------ | ------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| `YEAR TO MONTH`    | `Y-M`         | `INTERVAL '2-6' YEAR TO MONTH`        |
| `DAY TO HOUR`      | `D H`         | `INTERVAL '5 12' DAY TO HOUR`         |
| `DAY TO MINUTE`    | `D H:M`       | `INTERVAL '5 12:30' DAY TO MINUTE`    |
| `DAY TO SECOND`    | `D H:M:S`     | `INTERVAL '5 12:30:45' DAY TO SECOND` |
| `HOUR TO MINUTE`   | `H:M`         | `INTERVAL '1:30' HOUR TO MINUTE`      |
| `HOUR TO SECOND`   | `H:M:S`       | `INTERVAL '1:30:45' HOUR TO SECOND`   |
| `MINUTE TO SECOND` | `M:S`         | `INTERVAL '5:30' MINUTE TO SECOND`    |

Non-leading fields are validated per the SQL standard: `MONTH` 0-11, `HOUR` 0-23, `MINUTE` 0-59, `SECOND` 0-59.

```sql theme={null}
SELECT INTERVAL '1:30' HOUR TO MINUTE;
```

```text theme={null}
┌─(toIntervalHour(1), toIntervalMinute(30))─┐
│ (1,30)                                     │
└────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

An optional leading `+` or `-` sign applies to all components:

```sql theme={null}
SELECT INTERVAL '+1:30' HOUR TO MINUTE;
-- this is equivalent to:
-- SELECT INTERVAL '1:30' HOUR TO MINUTE;
```

```text theme={null}
┌─(toIntervalHour(1), toIntervalMinute(30))─┐
│ (1,30)                                     │
└────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

<h2 id="see-also">
  See Also
</h2>

* [INTERVAL](/reference/operators/index#interval) operator
* [toInterval](/reference/functions/regular-functions/type-conversion-functions#toIntervalYear) type conversion functions