</p>COMMON TERMS RELATED TO TELLING TIME% `+ _& y! t! F! m/ H4 S
morning
6 q: ?7 `: \# jdi mattino8 K- x; c: p. G9 r
noon4 ^! |" }( d& c. ~
mezzogiorno3 o2 |2 r' I7 I& l
afternoon; R* f2 }' K# j! a9 H7 p7 t* R* C* E
del pomeriggio# s) r% a" h; k) @
evening! i- B! V& h6 c# v( k
di sera9 q7 Y; X) K$ w3 I
midnight
4 U: ?7 q/ o# P& U. tmezzanotte
8 M4 `$ J# Z1 Y: e" B) Ha quarter
3 I4 f4 Y( ~1 G1 ]un quarto
: Z2 k! N$ ?6 `a quarter after/past
: @' `2 g1 O% _' ~; U' ee un quarto: R, b9 y" O: H* g; E# }. ?8 k% ]* U
half past& h: Q$ J' K- R/ y/ ?" r
e mezzo4 E& M6 e J& X
a quarter to/before _0 [; H/ n8 I, \7 E4 q
meno un quarto
8 R0 \& z6 W6 @sharp4 A9 h9 q; d, E) z' Z2 T( [. i
in punto
* ]2 r. X5 v$ W. Q& ^ q, M. ]8 |- u6 ]: w3 r1 G5 A
Store hours, TV timetables, performance listings, and other time references are written differently in Italy. When telling time, commas replace colons. For example, 2:00 becomes 2,00; 2:30 becomes 2,30; 2:50 becomes 2,50. " P* K! y' O9 J) e3 X8 [+ N5 g- p
The following table shows how you would tell the time from 5:00 to 6:00. 3 L9 w, |! N- ^5 v
TELLING TIME 5:00-6:00, ?) i/ t1 E6 ~- e! L* A
5,00
; s! p$ X, B( I0 \6 a" L, x! ASono le cinque.5 _9 K! H$ T2 i
5,10
, V+ ]; K! \, z WSono le cinque e dieci.
1 P; Z4 [& U8 g" R! z5,15
; A$ r! w8 {" }, v+ [' I u7 sSono le cinque e un quarto.
& v$ f3 R: x0 t7 Z5 J9 F# J5,20, m; J+ ~* \; E
Sono le cinque e venti.# |8 I* D. q! T2 d
5,30
# F$ p) w6 t8 W6 z/ K( YSono le cinque e mezzo.( L2 ?1 J* A9 S/ L& i
5,40% } J5 W% o* g) E& p
Sono le sei meno venti.2 Y/ q! r: V; \8 u; `
5,459 e$ B% U; c: G, ] X5 l
Sono le sei meno un quarto.
- f/ m, g" s8 u+ e5,50
, C1 \2 F8 x6 N4 P' M7 uSono le sei meno dieci.
" Z! Q; X7 C5 H& M6,00$ T4 ^% c1 }4 W' B
Sono le sei.& M2 j8 j( j+ I9 C
- ~! E) G: K. \# ]; N {
As in most of Europe, Italy uses the so-called "official time" (equivalent to "military time" in the United States) in train schedules, performances, movie timetables, radio, TV, and office hours. Between friends and in other informal situations, Italians may use the numbers from 1 to 12 to indicate time, and the context of the conversation will usually be sufficient. After all, La Scala doesn't have performances at eight in the morning! |