a. m. y p. m.
The English phrase 'am and pm' is translated into Spanish as a. m. y p. m.
These abbreviations are used to indicate whether a time is in the morning or the afternoon and evening. While these abbreviations are understood, Spanish speakers frequently use descriptive phrases instead. For example, one might use de la mañana to specify morning hours, de la tarde for afternoon hours or de la noche to specify late evening or night hours.
How does it change in a sentence?
The abbreviation a. m. stands for the Latin 'ante meridiem' and the abbreviation p. m. stands for 'post meridiem', functioning in Spanish just as they do in English.
Did you know?
- If you see a digital clock or a schedule in a Spanish-speaking country, it often uses the 24-hour format, such as 14:00, making a. m. and p. m. unnecessary.
- While English speakers use 'pm' for the entire period from noon to midnight, Spanish speakers switch from de la tarde to de la noche as early as 7 or 8 p. m. depending on the region.
- The conjunction y used to link the two terms is a descendant of the Latin et, the same ancestor for the English word 'and'.
Examples in context
- Son las 9 de la mañana.It's 9 in the morning.
- La reunión será a las 3 de la tarde.The meeting will be at 3 in the afternoon.
- El evento comienza a las 8 de la noche.The event starts at 8 in the evening.
- El vuelo sale a las 4 de la madrugada.The flight departs at 4 in the early morning.
- Voy al supermercado por la mañana.I'm going to the supermarket in the morning.
- Son las 7 en punto de la mañana.It's exactly 7 in the morning.
- La cita es a las 3 en punto de la tarde.The appointment is precisely at 3 in the afternoon.
- Escribo la hora con a. m. y p. m.I write the time with a. m. and p. m.
- Prefiero usar a. m. y p. m. para evitar confusiones.I prefer to use a. m. and p. m. to avoid confusion.
- Debes poner a. m. y p. m. en el horario.You must put a. m. and p. m. in the schedule.
Example conversation
Mateo and María are checking the flight details on a screen.
- Mateo¿A qué hora sale el vuelo?What time does the flight leave?
- MaríaDice a las ocho, pero no especifica a. m. y p. m.It says at eight, but it doesn't specify a. m. and p. m.
- MateoMira aquí, dice claramente las ocho a. m.Look here, it clearly says eight a. m.
- MaríaAh, entonces es por la mañana.Ah, so it is in the morning.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, y, CC BY-SA 4.0.
