mattina e pomeriggio
/matˈti.na ˈe po.meˈrid.d͡ʒo/word by word
The phrase "am and pm" is expressed in Italian as mattina e pomeriggio.
Italian speakers do not use "AM" or "PM" abbreviations in daily speech. Instead, they specify the time of day by using terms like mattina (morning) or pomeriggio (afternoon). To specify when an event occurs, you can use di mattina to mean "in the morning", di pomeriggio to mean "in the afternoon" or di sera to mean "in the evening". Because the English "PM" covers both the afternoon and the evening, you must choose between di pomeriggio and di sera to be precise.
How do you pronounce it?
The phrase is pronounced /matˈti.na ˈe po.meˈrid.dʒo/. It has 7 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The word pomeriggio is a direct linguistic descendant of the Latin phrase post merīdiem, which is where the English abbreviation 'PM' comes from.
- While English speakers rely on 'AM' and 'PM', most Italians use the 24-hour clock for all digital and official schedules. You will rarely see a bus schedule or a cinema listing using 'mattina' or 'pomeriggio' because they use '08:00' or '20:00' instead.
- Because Italian uses the 24-hour clock so heavily, using di mattina or di pomeriggio is often seen as a way to add emotional or descriptive color to a sentence rather than just stating a functional time.
Examples in context
- le dieci del mattino10 AM
- le due del pomeriggio2 PM
- Sei libero domani mattina alle undici?Are you free tomorrow morning at eleven?
- Ci vediamo alle sei di sera al cinema?Shall we meet at the cinema at six in the evening?
- L'appuntamento è alle otto del mattino in punto.The appointment is at exactly eight in the morning.
Example conversation
Chiara and Lorenzo are organizing a meeting time.
- ChiaraA che ora ci vediamo domani?What time shall we meet tomorrow?
- LorenzoAlle dieci, ma specifica mattina e pomeriggio.At ten, but specify morning and afternoon.
- ChiaraIntendo alle dieci di mattina, Lorenzo.I mean ten in the morning, Lorenzo.
- LorenzoVa bene, allora ci vediamo presto.All right, then we'll see each other soon.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (mattina, e, pomeriggio) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries e, mattina, pomeriggio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
