Foreign Languages
Telling time.
Definition
Telling time involves learning how to express hours and minutes in a foreign language. Most languages use specific structures: French uses 'Il est... heures,' Spanish uses 'Son las...' (or 'Es la...' for 1:00), and German uses 'Es ist... Uhr.'
Examples
Real-world.
- 1 Il est trois heures et quart. (It is 3:15.)
- 2 Son las dos y media. (It is 2:30.)
- 3 Es ist halb vier. (It is 3:30 — literally 'half four' in German)
Key Fact
German telling time is tricky: 'halb vier' = 3:30 (half TO four, not half PAST four). French/Spanish use 12-hour with 'et quart/y cuarto' for :15 and 'et demie/y media' for :30.
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