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ESL forum >
Message board > American English?
American English?
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Kate (kkcat)
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American English?
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Hello,
here is one thing I �d like to know...
Do you ever tell the time 15 00 as �fifteen hundred � or 16 00 �sixteen hundred �? Normally people do not say it and it may confuse somebody, but my friend today told me he uses it sometimes and claimed that it �s an �American English � way to tell the time... I didn �t believe him becasue I never heard Americans telling the time in this way 
Thank you,
Kate
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7 Dec 2009
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alien boy
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It �s actually a military standard to use a 24hr clock, not just American.
Strangely, it �s very common for Japanese English speakers and it will often also be used in written form when time is written in otherwise Japanese documents!
Cheers,
AB
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7 Dec 2009
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cagreis
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Hi Kate,
Yes, it is possible to tell the time like this.
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7 Dec 2009
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Kate (kkcat)
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Thank you, AB ;) Now I get it :)
Thank you, cagreis
Kate
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7 Dec 2009
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Jayho
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Hi Kate
I use the 24 hour clock on my mobile phone and laptop - I find it much easier - but I don�t usually speak it. Some people do use and speak according to the 24 hour clock, and yes, it�s a military thing. It�s not common in the civilian world but it is used.
Cheers
Jayho |
7 Dec 2009
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Kate (kkcat)
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Thank you Jayho :)
P.S. nice avatar, all ready for Christmas ;)
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7 Dec 2009
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epit
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Hi Kate ,we use thirteen,fourteen and tweentythree for the pm hours inTurkish but,in English I have never heard telling the time in this way. thank you |
8 Dec 2009
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manonski (f)
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Hi
Like AlienBoy, I thought it was only used for military time. However, in French we use it all the time. |
8 Dec 2009
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ounhabounha
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Americans use the 12 hour system when telling time. We would only tell time in military time (24 hour system), if we were in the military or other similar field. |
8 Dec 2009
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Spagman63
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I would say it is a government/enforcement thing. Police forces use it and they are not military. Both Korea and Hong Kong use the 24 hr clock. It avoids a lot of confusion. To tell the time, all you do is deduct 12 from the number ABOVE 12 eg. 13:00 is 13-12=1:00. I like it in a lot of ways. If you say "The meeting is at 8:00.", it could be either AM or PM but 20:00 tells you immediately that it is 8:00PM (20-12=8).
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8 Dec 2009
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alien boy
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Rather than a �government/enforcement thing �, it �s actually commonly used anywhere that operations/activities occur continuously/anytime throughout the 24 hours of the day. Emergency services, hospitality workers, some areas in manufacturing, hospital staff (private & government owned) and many other groups use a 24 hour clock simply because it does solve possible am/pm confusion. However, it isn �t commonly used in conversation except in relation to the work involved - so rosters may well be issued in 24 hour format & discussion with staff involved in rostering would then also usually occur using the 24 hour format. I would say that, for native English speakers (even the military when talking outside of work), 24 hour time is not a common or popular mode of expression.
Regards,
AB
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8 Dec 2009
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