How to tell time in English?
Posted: Sat Dec 21, 2024 3:45 am
Learning to tell the time in English is important if you want to communicate in everyday situations. That's why in this new post from our English academy we offer you a simple guide so you don't miss a single minute.
The hour and fractions The hour on the dot
To tell the hour, you simply use the number followed by "o'clock". For example:
1:00 - It's one o'clock.
3:00 - It's three o'clock.
12:00 - It's twelve o'clock (noon or midnight).
Minutes after the hour
When you want to say the minutes that have passed after the hour, you use "past". For example:
2:10 - It's ten past two.
4:15 - It's a quarter past four.
7:20 - It's twenty past seven.
Minutes before the hour
To indicate the minutes before the next hour, you use "to". For example:
1:50 - It's ten to two.
5:45 - It's a quarter to six.
9:55 - It's five to ten.
Common expressions for telling time 12 and 24 hour formats
In English, both the 12-hour and 24-hour formats are used. In formal australia phone number data situations, such as in the military or flight schedules, the 24-hour format is used. In everyday conversation, the 12-hour format is more common, with the addition of "AM" for morning and "PM" for afternoon/evening.
2:00 PM - It's two PM.
14:00 - It's two o'clock in the afternoon.
Informal expressions
Sometimes, more informal expressions are used to tell time:
Half past - 5:30 - It's half past five.
Quarter past/to - 8:45 - It's a quarter to nine.
The hour and fractions The hour on the dot
To tell the hour, you simply use the number followed by "o'clock". For example:
1:00 - It's one o'clock.
3:00 - It's three o'clock.
12:00 - It's twelve o'clock (noon or midnight).
Minutes after the hour
When you want to say the minutes that have passed after the hour, you use "past". For example:
2:10 - It's ten past two.
4:15 - It's a quarter past four.
7:20 - It's twenty past seven.
Minutes before the hour
To indicate the minutes before the next hour, you use "to". For example:
1:50 - It's ten to two.
5:45 - It's a quarter to six.
9:55 - It's five to ten.
Common expressions for telling time 12 and 24 hour formats
In English, both the 12-hour and 24-hour formats are used. In formal australia phone number data situations, such as in the military or flight schedules, the 24-hour format is used. In everyday conversation, the 12-hour format is more common, with the addition of "AM" for morning and "PM" for afternoon/evening.
2:00 PM - It's two PM.
14:00 - It's two o'clock in the afternoon.
Informal expressions
Sometimes, more informal expressions are used to tell time:
Half past - 5:30 - It's half past five.
Quarter past/to - 8:45 - It's a quarter to nine.