How to read 12:15 on an analog clock
At 12:15, the minute hand points at the 3, which represents the 15th minute. The hour hand is between the 12 and the 1, but closer to the 12. This means we are 15 minutes past twelve o’clock.
In English, when the minute hand is on the 3, we say phrases like: It’s a quarter past 12.
It’s a quarter past twelve.
This is a common way of expressing time in spoken English. These expressions sound more natural in everyday conversation.
It’s important to understand that we often refer to the next hour when using “to”, even if the hour hand hasn’t reached it yet.
Example sentences with 12:15
- Her dance class begins precisely at 12:15.
- I always start cooking dinner around it’s a quarter past twelve.
- They left the house at it’s a quarter past twelve. to catch the train.
- My alarm goes off at 12:15 every morning.
- We usually go for a walk around 12:15.