Oh, this 14.20 time thing, huh? It’s just 2:20 PM, plain and simple. You see, some folks use the 12-hour clock, like we do most of the time, where after 12 o’clock it just goes back to 1 PM. But with this 24-hour clock, it keeps goin’—past 12, you get 13, 14, and so on. So, 14:20, well, that’s just 2:20 in the afternoon. Not too complicated if you think about it, but it sure can confuse some folks!
Now, this 24-hour clock is often called “military time.” They use it all over the place, not just in the army or anything. Hospitals, airports, and some other fancy places like that, they all use it. You might hear folks say “14:20 hours,” and that’s just how they write 2:20 PM in military talk. It’s a bit formal, but it helps when they don’t want to mix up day and night times, especially for things like flights or train schedules.
How to read 24-hour time?
It’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it. Anything past 12 noon, you just keep countin’. So, 13:00 is 1:00 PM, 14:00 is 2:00 PM, and so on. Just add 12 to the number if you get stuck. Like, if it’s 14:20, you add 12 to that 2, and boom—you get 2:20 PM.
- 00:00 is midnight, start of a new day.
- 12:00 is noon, lunchtime for most.
- 13:00 is 1:00 PM, after lunch.
- 14:20 is 2:20 PM, that’s the one we’re talkin’ about!
If you’re tryin’ to figure out other times, like 18:00, that’s just 6:00 PM. And 23:00? Well, that’s 11:00 PM, near bedtime for most folks. Once the clock hits 24:00, it rolls right back to 00:00, and the whole day starts over.
Why do some folks use military time?
Well, it’s mostly to avoid any mix-ups. Sometimes you say 7:00, and folks wonder, “Do you mean morning or night?” With military time, you don’t have to worry about that. 07:00 is always in the morning, and 19:00 is always in the evening. No fuss about whether it’s AM or PM, see?
In places where folks need to be real precise with their time, like hospitals or airports, they like using the 24-hour system. This way, when they say “14:20,” everyone knows exactly what time they’re talking about. Ain’t no need to ask if it’s AM or PM, it’s just plain clear.
Now, you don’t gotta be in the military or workin’ at the airport to use this. Some folks just like it better. If you get used to it, you might even prefer it too. But for most of us, the ol’ 12-hour clock with AM and PM works just fine. We’ve been usin’ it for ages, after all!
How to convert between 12-hour and 24-hour time
If you ever get stuck convertin’ military time to regular time, here’s a little trick:
- For any hour between 13:00 and 23:00, just subtract 12. So, 14:20 minus 12 is 2:20 PM.
- For times in the morning, like 08:00, it’s just the same as 8:00 AM.
- Midnight is 00:00, and noon is 12:00. Easy peasy!
So, next time you see 14:20, don’t go scratchin’ your head too much. It’s just 2:20 PM, and now you know how to figure that out! Once you get the hang of this 24-hour thing, it ain’t so hard at all. Whether you’re readin’ it for a flight, a train, or just want to be fancy with your time, you got this covered now!
Alright, that’s all about this 14:20 time. You won’t be confused about it anymore, I reckon!
Tags：[military time, 14:20, 24-hour clock, time conversion, regular time]
