What’s the Time in English?

There are two common ways of telling the time.
告诉时间有两种常见方式。

1. Formal but easier way - 正式但更简单的方式

顺读法 - 先时后分

Say the hours first and then the minutes.
首先说小时，然后是分钟。

Example: 7:45 - seven forty-five

For minutes 01 through 09, you can pronounce the ‘0’ as oh.
对于 01 到 09 分钟，您可以将 ‘0’ 发音为 oh。

Example: 11:06 - eleven (oh) six

2. More popular way - 比较流行的方式

逆读法 - 先分后时

Say the minutes first and then the hours. Use past and the preceding hour for minutes 01 through 30. Use to and the forthcoming hour for minutes 31 through 59.
首先说分钟然后再说小时。

Example: 7.15 - fifteen minutes past seven

Example: 7.45 - fifteen minutes to eight

Another possibility of saying ‘15 minutes past’ is: a quarter past

Another possibility of saying ‘15 minutes to’ is: a quarter to

Another possibility of saying ‘30 minutes past’ is: half past

Example: 5:30 - half past five

past [pɑːst]：adj. 过去的，从前的，以往的，刚过去的，刚结束的，过去式的，完成的，结束的 n. 过去，昔日，往事，过去的经历，过去时，过去式 prep. 经过，路过，(指钟点) 过，晚于，在...之后，在...的更远处，在另一边，多于，超过，越过 adv. 过，经过，从一侧到另一侧，(时间) 过去，流逝，超过，以后，过后 (与已知钟点相隔某段时间后)

3. Watch

half [hɑːf]：n. 一半，半场，半学年 adv. 一半地，部分地 adj. 一半的，不完全的，半途的
quarter ['kwɔːtə]：n. 四分之一，地区，季度，一刻钟，两角五分，节 vi. 住宿，驻扎 vt. 将...四等分，供某人住宿

4. Note

Use o’clock only at the full hour.
只在整个小时使用 o’clock。

Example: 7:00 - seven o’clock (7:10 - ten past seven)

Example: 5:00 - five o’clock

In English ordinary speech, the twelve-hour clock is used.
在英语普通语音中，使用了 12 小时制。

Beispiel: 17:20 - twenty past five

For times around midnight or midday you can use the expressions midnight or midday / noon instead of the number 12.
对于午夜或午间的时间，您可以使用 midnight or midday / noon 表达而不是数字 12。

Beispiel: 00:00 - midnight

Beispiel: 12:00 - midday or noon

To make clear (where necessary) whether you mean a time before 12 o’clock noon or after, you can use in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, at night. Use in the morning before 12 o’clock noon, after 12 o’clock noon use in the afternoon. When to change from afternoon to evening, from evening to night and from night to morning depends on your sense of time.
要明确 (必要时) 你是指中午 12 点之前或之后的时间，你可以在 in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, at night 使用。Use in the morning before 12 o’clock noon, after 12 o’clock noon use in the afternoon. When to change from afternoon to evening, from evening to night and from night to morning 取决于你的时间感。

Example: 3:15 - a quarter past three in the morning OR a quarter past three at night

More formal expressions to indicate whether a time is before noon or after are a.m. (also: am - ante meridiem, before noon) and p.m. (also: pm - post meridiem, after noon). Use these expression only with the formal way of telling the time.
更正式的表达方式表明时间是在中午之前还是之后用 a.m. and p.m. (also: am - ante meridiem, before noon - also: pm - post meridiem, after noon)。使用正式的方式来表达时间，才使用这些表达式。

Example: 3:15 - three fifteen a.m.

It is not usual to use a.m. and p.m. with past/to.

Example: 3:15 - fifteen minutes past three OR a quarter past three

4.1 American English - 美式英语

Beside past Americans often use after.
除了 past 美国人经常使用 after。

Example: 06:10 - ten past/after six

But: in time expressions with half past it is not usual to replace past by after.

Beside to Americans often use before, of or till.
除了 to 美国人经常使用 before, of or till。

Example: 05:50 - ten to/before/of/till six

beispiel：模范，榜样，范例，例子，例题，例证，样品，标本
midday [mɪd'deɪ]：n. 中午，正午 adj. 正午的
meridiem [mə'ridi:əm]：n. 正午
ante ['æntɪ]：vt. 下赌注，付款 vi. 下赌注，付款 n. 赌注，预付款

Example: five past seven - 七点过五分
Example: half past six - 六点半
Example: a quarter past eight - 八点过一刻

Example: ten to eight - 差十分八点
Example: a quarter to twelve - 差一刻十二点
Example: twenty to six - 差二十分六点