24 hr clock in dialogue

[MClark]

My test readers have advised I use the european/military 24 hour clock (13:00 for 1 pm, 20:00 for 8pm etc) for my story and I concur.

My question is how do european civilians describe such times when speaking?  I know the military says thirteen hundred hours and such. I do not recall european civilians I've talked with using such terms. I don't recall any instances of people using the 24 hour clock in speech in shows like Dr Who or Misfits. Do I just use numerals 03:15 or 13:20 and let the reader figure it out?

[The Deposed King]

Can't help you sorry.  I thought all medical professionals used military time at work, Doctors and Nurses and such.  But then I came here to the philippines in south east asia and they use am/pm with the 1-12 system.

So I'm in the weeds as well.



The Deposed King

[spywolf]

I am from england
I use both interchangably
or say both one after the other
but am most confitable with 24 hour clock

[Wordmaker]

In conversation, most Europeans don't use the 24-hour clock. We say "one o'clock," "a quarter to three" or "half past five." On occassion we might use the terms "am" and "pm" but we're more likely to say "two in the morning" and "five in the evening/afternoon."

[spywolf]

at school here we don't do that
timings are in 24hour clock
it might just be that I am of a younger geniration... so use mostly 24hour

[Wordmaker]

Maybe, I've just never heard the 24-hour clock used in day to day conversation anywhere.

[spywolf]

I use it
specially on the phone when talking to people in different time zones
and a lot at school...
again it might be a geniration thing
older people use it less then people my age and teachers use 24hour more nowerdays
I use both depends who I talk to

[Wordmaker]

Ease up on the age talk, I'm only 32! 

I'd still be willing to say that the average person doesn't use the 24-hour clock in conversation. Definitely in Ireland almost nobody ever does, except maybe in office environments quoting e-mails or in IT departments. But not casual conversation. We have lunch at one o'clock, not 13:00 hours.

[Shecky]

Maybe, I've just never heard the 24-hour clock used in day to day conversation anywhere.

The French use both methods interchangeably.

[mountainsoul]

We use the 24 hour clock format quite a lot, but then I work with that sort of crowd a lot so that might explain a few things...
13:15 I'd say as thirteen fifteen, 17:57 would be seventeen fifty-seven and 00:30 would, for me, be midnight thirty or zero zero thirty.

[spywolf]

Ease up on the age talk, I'm only 32! 

I'd still be willing to say that the average person doesn't use the 24-hour clock in conversation. Definitely in Ireland almost nobody ever does, except maybe in office environments quoting e-mails or in IT departments. But not casual conversation. We have lunch at one o'clock, not 13:00 hours.

I was talking about people in there late teens

[Wordmaker]

Stop making me feel old! 

In my day-job I do hear the IT department use the 24-hour clock when discussing system logs and other tech-stuff that goes way over my head. I suppose there's more of a need to be precise about that kind of information in that environment.

[spywolf]

sorry
if it makes you feel better your younger then my parents

I do a lot of science at school we use it a lot then...
we also have are school day planed on a 24hour clock
as I spend most of my time there I guess I am used to it
I think most people in day to day it would depend on what clock was nearest them (asking time) when they are speaking
and the situation
meeting up with friends is very different to trying to brake in to a bank for example or doing a milatry opiration
(I don't have expirence with any of the above )

[Wordmaker]

Oh definitely. I would expect any kind of tactical operation to feature characters using the 24-hour clock. Or police/military characters on duty, etc.

But It'd find it very strange to read a book where a guy asks a girl on a date and says he'll pick her up at 20:00 hours. Unless it was meant as humour.

[spywolf]

yes it would be quite strange
unless that person is a geeky type teenager or for mentioned opiration/ person on duty

it porberly would not happen