How to read 12:55 on an analog clock
At 12:55, the minute hand points at the 11, which represents the 55th minute. The hour hand is between the 12 and the 1, but closer to the 1. This means we are 5 minutes away from one o’clock.
In English, when the minute hand is on the 11, we say phrases like: It’s 5 to 1.
It’s five to one.
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 12:55
- My alarm goes off at 12:55 every morning.
- Don’t forget our call is scheduled for it’s five to one!
- I always start cooking dinner around it’s five to one.
- They left the house at it’s five to one. to catch the train.
- We usually go for a walk around 12:55.