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When learning how to read, ask for, and tell time in English, you'll surely encounter phrases like a.m. and p.m. So, what are a.m. and p.m. abbreviations for in English? Let's find the answer together with Mytour.
What does AM mean in English, and what is PM an abbreviation for?
What are AM and PM in English?
In English and daily life, terms like a.m. and p.m. are quite common when referring to time. While the 24-hour clock system doesn't require a.m. or p.m., they are necessary in the 12-hour system. But what do a.m. and p.m. mean?
Both a.m. and p.m. are abbreviated from Latin phrases. Specifically:
- a.m. stands for ante meridiem (before midday): Meaning before 12 noon.
- p.m. stands for post meridiem (after midday): Meaning after 12 noon.
In simple terms:
- a.m. is used to indicate morning hours, counting from 12 midnight or 0 o'clock (in the 24-hour system).
- p.m. is used to indicate afternoon to evening hours, counting from 12 noon to 11:59 p.m. (in the 24-hour system).
What do a.m. and p.m. mean? How to distinguish a.m. and p.m. in English
A small note is that when using a.m. and p.m., it's unnecessary to add time indicators like morning / afternoon / evening or o'clock afterward.
In addition to A.M. and P.M., the symbols AD and BC are also of curiosity and interest to users. In fact, AD and BC are abbreviations indicating time before and after the common era.
