What does pm mean in English? How to tell time in English

The change of day and night naturally divides the day into two parts. And this significant difference between the time of day was reflected even in the language. We say “at two o’clock in the afternoon” or “at two o’clock in the morning” to emphasize whether something happened during the day or at night. And there are two more wonderful words in the Russian language for this purpose: “afternoon” and “after midnight”.

In ancient times, time was determined differently during the day and at night. During the day, if the sun was shining, then sundial. And at night - using a sand or water clock, measuring the amount of sand or water that has flowed out. Who needed to measure time at night? Guards and astrologers. Shepherds did without watches, telling time by the stars. Later, when navigation appeared, knowledge of the exact time became the guarantee that the ship would not get lost at sea, losing sight of the shore. Therefore, one of the important watch posts on the ship was at the hourglass. The sailor watched the flow of sand and turned the hourglass over when the sand finally poured from the top of the bottle to the bottom. Which was immediately signaled, for example, by striking a bell. Usually, winding the hourglass lasted for a quarter of an hour, so the bell on the ship rang every fifteen minutes. This was called “beating off bells.”

As you can see, there was a “daytime” time and a “night” time. When, already in the Middle Ages, tower clocks appeared in cities, their dial was divided into 12 sectors, because they were actually “daytime”; at night, in the darkness, the dial could not be seen. And if the hand on the tower clock pointed to the number “7”, people themselves unmistakably figured out whether it was time to open a shop, or whether the working day had already ended. Quite soon, chimes were invented, clocks in which the time could not only be seen on the dial, but also heard by the corresponding number of bell strikes.

For many cities, clocks became one of the attractions. The clock mechanism was forced not only to ring bells, but also to show whole puppet shows. If the clock was high on the tower, then the dolls were made huge so that they could be seen from below. Sometimes, on the contrary, the clock was lowered. Every hour people flocked to them to gawk at the moralizing mechanical mystery. Probably the most famous clock of this type is the clock on the Town Hall Square in Prague.

By the way, the dial of this watch is divided into 24 sectors. They show not only “daytime”, but also “night” time too. And also the day and month.

The two systems of calculating the time of day that emerged in this way seemed to coexist on the same territory. In oral speech, the twelve-hour system was preferred, with the addition, if necessary, of the time of day. Moreover, the watches that appeared for personal use, pocket and wrist, usually had a dial divided into 12 sectors. In writing, that is, mainly in orders and instructions, they preferred the twenty-four-hour system. This made it possible to avoid ambiguity, which was especially important in military affairs. Bringing a regiment to the river and crossing to the other side at four o’clock in the afternoon or at four o’clock in the morning are completely different things, aren’t they? In the USA and Canada, the twenty-four-hour system for representing the time of day is called “military” or “astronomical”.

In everyday life in these countries, the twelve-hour system is practically the standard. In this system, the hour of the day is indicated by a number from 1 to 12 with the addition of two letters, AM or PM. These letters are abbreviations Latin words"ante meridiem" ("before noon") and "post meridiem" ("after noon").

Usually, the question arises as to how noon and midnight are designated in the twelve-hour system. The convention is that 12:00AM is noon and 12:00PM is midnight. Therefore, the minutes of the first hour after noon in twelve-hour recording are designated as follows: 12:15AM. This corresponds to 12:15 in a twenty-four hour recording. The time of the first hour after midnight is designated 12:30PM. This corresponds to 0:30 in a twenty-four hour recording. That is, there is no zero in the twelve-hour time system. Its role is played by the number 12.

IN English language often the numbers indicating the time are followed by the mysterious letters am or pm. What is the meaning of these abbreviations and how are they deciphered?

Incomprehensible letter symbols with dots “a.m” and “p.m” are used when indicating European time, which is calculated in a 12-hour format, and not in the usual 24-hour format. For Americans, the day is divided into 2 halves - from 12 at night to 12 noon and is marked with the letters a.m., and the rest of the time is marked with p.m.

In other words, the abbreviation "a.m" is the time before noon: from 12 o'clock at night to 12 o'clock next day. It stands for Ante meridiem, a Latin phrase that translates as “before noon.” The time from noon to 12 o'clock at night is designated by the abbreviation "p.m" - this is the time after 12 o'clock in the afternoon. It stands for Post meridiem, which means “after noon” in Latin.

Thus, in English, when indicating time, it is not necessary to say or write the word “o" clock after each digit. You can simply say “it is 5.” But to indicate that it is five o’clock in the evening, you need to clarify - it is 5 p.m.

National features of time notation

In America, the 24-hour time format is practically not used in everyday life; it is used mostly by technicians, police officers, military personnel, and people in professions that require precision. This designation of time is called “military time”.

In documents, Americans mark midnight as 11:59 p.m., and noon as 12:01 a.m., in order to avoid legal incidents and other discrepancies.

Europeans are already accustomed to this type of time calculation, but we are closer to our native 24-hour format, it eliminates confusion with “noons.” In the world, almost all mechanical watches (with hands) are marked according to the English system, that is, the 24-hour format. Electronic ones can show time using two systems. So, in America, for example, clocks showing am and pm are quite common.

Learning by example

Meaning of abbreviations a.m./p.m. best learned through examples. So:

• 1 a.m. means 1 am;
• 2 a.m., 3 a.m. and so on, until 8 a.m. mean 2 am, 3 am and 8 am;
• time from 9 a.m. and until 11 a.m. considered "late morning" from 9 to 11 am;
• 1 p.m. - it's 1 o'clock in the afternoon, 2 p.m. - 2 pm and so on, until 6 p.m. (six pm) and until 11 p.m. (11 p.m);

It can be expressed differently as follows:

Examples with translation

• 03:17 a.m. m - Three seventeen in the morning (three seventeen in the morning).
• 04:40 p.m. — Four forty p.m. in the afternoon (four forty days).
• If specified exact time, a specific hour without minutes, is called this hour + “o"clock”.
• 10:00 - ten o'clock (ten hours).
• 09:00 — nine o’clock (nine hours).
• It is five fifteen AM. — It’s five fifteen in the morning.
• It's seven thirty PM. — It’s seven thirty in the evening.
• Examples of tenses in sentences
• This letter we must send out at 3 a.m. — We must send this letter at 3 am.
• Roger Brown arrived in New-Jersey at 7:44 A.M. — Roger Brown arrived in New Jersey at 7:44 am.
• Opening Hours: Monday - Saturday 8 am - 8 pm, Sundays 10 am - 7 pm. — Opening hours: Monday - Saturday from 8 am to 8 pm, on Sundays from 10 am to 7 pm.
• Tomorrow I’ll wake up at 7 am, no the latter. — Tomorrow I will wake up at 7 o’clock in the morning, not earlier.
• Their flight to Boston would leave Glasgow at 7:10 a.m. Friday. — Their flight to Boston will leave Glasgow at 7:10 am on Friday.
• Today I’m going to work up to 9 p.m. — Today I’m going to work until 9 pm.
• My wife usually wakes up at 5 a.m. — My wife usually wakes up at 5 am.
• We estimate him here by 11:25 p.m. — We estimate that he will be here before 11.25 pm.
• Open today: 7:00 am – 10:00 pm. — Opening hours today: from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm.

Conversion table from AM and PM to 24 hour format

We in Russia, Ukraine and many other countries are accustomed to the fact that there are 24 hours in one day. However, there are places where this is not the case. No, they are not on another planet that rotates faster or slower than the Earth. The fact is that they calculate time in a different format.

Many have seen abbreviations AM and PM, but few people thought about what they mean. Below we will understand exactly what AM and PM are and why this is so.

AM PM - time

AM and PM are abbreviations that stand for the following:

• A.M.– Ante Meridiem (translated – before noon);
• P.M.– Post Meridiem (“ Afternoon«).

Thus, the day is divided into two parts - equal to 12 hours.

As you can see, everything is very simple. The only difficulty is adapting to the appropriate format. Usually people who come, for example, to the United States or Australia, are very confused at first when they try to find out the time using a watch other than theirs.

Where is the AM and PM system used?

The corresponding time system is used to varying degrees in many countries. However, it is most prevalent in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines.

It is partially used in Ireland, France and Greece. But the list is not limited to this. There are more than a hundred countries where the division of the day according to the AM and PM system is used in informal communication, despite the officially adopted 24-hour number system.

It should be noted that these countries also include Russia. Here many people say, for example: 3 hours (meaning day) or 2 hours (meaning night). On the other hand in in this case It is not exactly the AM/PM system that is used, but a designation based on the time of day (example: 8 pm instead of 8 pm), but the essence does not change.

Problems that arise due to differences in time systems

Time calculation is regulated by the ISO 8601 standard. However, despite this, in different parts planets, there are several solutions to how to designate midnight and noon. The result is confusion.

The fact is that Meridiem in English literally translates to “noon” or “middle of the day”, making it linguistically impossible to accurately attribute exactly 12 noon and 12 noon to PM or AM (they can be either the former or the latter). In view of this, in some countries exactly midnight can be designated both PM and AM (the same applies to noon). Despite the fact that such errors are largely characteristic of informal communication, they can also affect the conduct of business. For example, a trader might say that he will close a trade at 12:00PM when he actually meant 00:00 on a 24-hour basis.

The problem is partially solved through the introduction of the American system. It is customary not to use 12:00 at all, be it midnight or noon. Instead, 11:59 AM is used if you want to indicate the end of the day, and if you want to indicate the beginning of the next day, then 12:01 PM is used. A difference of 1 minute is usually not significant, but where it matters, the 24-hour system is used. I think you have figured out what AM and PM mean and can easily navigate the time.

Video illustration of AM and PM designations

In contact with

The ability to tell time in English is one of the basic skills that students who want to thoroughly learn the language should practice until it becomes automatic. To name time, as well as time frames and intervals, simple, but clear and fairly rigid grammatical structures are used, the slightest violation which may result in misunderstanding.

To indicate time in English, not only classic authentic phrases can be used, but also international indicators - such as A.M.., P.M.., time PDT and time EST. Having clearly understood their meaning and application, you can freely navigate both complex texts and communication with native speakers.

Basic words on the topic "Time"

The basic vocabulary for tenses in English consists of the following words:

• o"clock- time
• a minute- minute
• a half- half
• an hour- hour
• a quarter- quarter
• to- to (in the second half of the hour)
• past- after (in the first half of the hour)
• sharp (exactly)- exactly (about time)

How to say time in English

In the designation of time in English, several nuances can be distinguished - even time, time in the first and second half of the current hour, and time in minutes not divisible by five.

Even time

The classic option is to use a phrase with the word o"clock.

It’s six o’clock - It’s exactly 6 o’clock now.

It’s eight o"clock - It’s exactly 8 o’clock now.

It’s ten o’clock - It’s exactly 10 o’clock now.

In some cases, the meaning of even time can be reinforced by the word sharp or exactly.

It’s two o’clock sharp - It’s two o’clock sharp now.

It’s exactly seven o’clock - It’s exactly seven o’clock now.

Time in the first half of the current hour

When talking about time after zero minutes in English, they usually use constructions with the word past. IN in this context it indicates how many minutes have passed since a particular hour.

It "s five past four - 5 minutes past five (“5 minutes after four” literally)

It's ten past two. - 10 minutes past two (“10 minutes after two” literally)

It’s twenty past one - 20 minutes past one (“20 minutes after an hour” literally)

Half and 15 minutes from an hour - a special case. Time in English in such a situation is indicated using words half and a quarter.

Eg:

It’s half past twelve - Half past twelve (“half after twelve” literally)

It’s a quarter past two - 15 minutes past two (“a quarter after two” literally)

To know how to call time in English correctly, you need to pay attention that when denoting the first half of an hour, the hour that has already arrived is used!

In addition, in American English you can find a variant with the word after.

It’s ten after eight - 10 minutes past eight.

Time in the second half of the current hour

To name the time from half before the new hour, use constructions with the word to. In the place of the hour, the time that should come is set.

It’s ten to five - 10 minutes to five (literally “10 minutes to five”)

It’s five to seven - Five minutes to seven (literally “5 minutes to seven”)

It’s twenty to four - Twenty minutes to four (literally “20 minutes to four”)

A quarter is also used to indicate the last quarter of an hour

It’s a quarter to two - Fifteen minutes to two (literally “15 minutes to two”)

In the American version, instead of to meets of.

It’s ten of three - Ten to three.

Time in minutes, not divisible by five

The principle of marking time in this case is the same, and grammatical structures do not change. The only difference is the mandatory use of the word minutes after the digital designation of minutes.

It’s eleven minutes past three - Eleven minutes past three.

It’s nineteen minutes to twelve - It’s nineteen minutes to twelve.

How to ask about time

To clarify time in English, use the following phrases:

What time is it? - What time is it now?

What time is it now? - What time is it now?

What's the time? -How much time?

Have you got the time? - Do you have a watch?

Could you tell me the time please? - Can you tell me what time it is?

Do you happen to have the time? - Do you happen to know what time it is?

P.M. value and A.M.

Abbreviation p.m. or a.m. near the time indication plunges some into confusion. So what is a.m. time? and p.m. in English and when can such abbreviations be used? P.M. - is it morning or evening? These are the questions that arise most often.

Before answering the question about decoding a.m. and p.m., it is worth remembering that time can be expressed in both 24-hour and 12-hour formats. In England they only use the 12-hour clock!

To avoid any confusion when naming time, digital value add a.m. (am) or p.m. (pm). The designations are translated as follows:

A.M. - ante meridiem(“before noon” in Latin, interval from 00:00 to 12:00)

P.M. -post meridiem(“afternoon” in Latin, interval from 12:00 to 00:00)

Therefore, you can answer a question about time in English using the 12 hour format as follows:

It's six p.m. now. - It's 6 o'clock in the evening.

It’s about nine a.m.. - It’s about 9 o’clock in the morning.

Even when the answer to the question about the meaning and translation of time p.m. and a.m. into English has been clarified, difficulties may still arise. First of all, this is a clarification of the transition time. Questions “12 p.m. - how much is this?" and “12 a.m. - how much is this? Is it morning or evening? often require additional explanation.

In this case, just remember:

12 p.m. - 12 noon (NOON)!
12 a.m. - 12 o'clock at night (MIDNIGHT)!

If you are not sure that the designation is remembered correctly, you can answer the question about time:

It’s midday|It’s noon - It’s noon.

It's midnight - It's midnight.

Designs using in the morning, in the evening, and in the afternoon are no less popular.

It’s eight o"clock in the morning - 8 o’clock in the morning.

It’s ten o"clock in the evening - 10 pm.

It’s three o’clock in the afternoon - 3 o’clock in the afternoon.

Time in PDT and EST

Often in business and scientific documentation you can find two more temporary abbreviations - PDT and EST - since they are used quite often, it is worth clarifying their meaning.

PDT (Pacific Daylight Time)- Pacific summer time. Differs from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) by -7 hours, the time difference with Moscow is 11 hours. Valid in the USA. from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. Thus, if in Moscow it is 18:30, then in the USA at this time it is 7:30 am.

EST (Eastern Standard Time)- North American Eastern Time. This is a time zone that differs from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) by -5 hours and from Moscow time by -8 hours. This belt contains 23 US states, including Connecticut, New York and Florida, three Canadian provinces and 9 countries in the Caribbean, Central and South America. 18:30 Moscow time is 10:30 EST.

Clarification of time in specified time zones is often used in international negotiations, tracking of international cargo, astronomical observations, as well as in other necessary cases.

Useful phrases related to time

To freely use time notations in English, the following phrases, words and expressions may be useful:

about - about, approximately (It’s about eleven - It’s about 11 o’clock now)

almost - almost, practically (It’s almost midnight - Almost midnight)

on the dot - exactly (and not a second later) (Meet you at half past nine in the evening on the dot - Meet you at exactly half past nine in the evening).

just gone - the beginning, just arrived, a little more (It’s just gone seven. - Now it’s a little more than seven hours)

If it is impossible to answer a question about time or the answer is incorrect, use the following phrases:

My watch is slow. - My watch is slow.

I've left my watch at home. - I forgot my watch at home.

My watch is stolen. - My watch was stolen.

My watch is broken. - My watch is broken.

Your watch is fast. - Your watch is fast.

I've lost my watch. - I lost my watch.

When naming time and time intervals, certain prepositions are used: