There are 24 hours in every day.
But analog clocks only have 12 hours on them.
That means the hour hand spins around the clock two times every day.
10:00 happens twice every day. 🙉
12:00 happens twice every day too.
How can we tell one 10:00 apart from the other? 🤔
👉 We use a.m. and p.m.!
a.m. is the first half of the day.
p.m. is the second half of the day.
a.m. is the time between midnight and noon. We also call it "morning". 🌞
A.M. stands for Ante Meridiem.
Tip: ante meridiem in Latin means before noon.
Tip: Latin is an old language people don't speak anymore.
Lots of people wake up at 6, 7, or 8 a.m.
P.M. stands for Post Meridiem.
It literally means after noon in Latin. Post means after, and meridiem means middle of the day.
👉 PM is the time between noon and midnight. We also call it "after midday." 🌙
Lots of people go to sleep at 9, 10, or 11 p.m.
What comes after 11:59 p.m.?
Time can be a little tricky, so pay close attention.
Some people think that after 11:59 p.m. is 12:00 p.m. - but that's not how it works!
What comes after 11:59 p.m.?
It's 12:00 a.m. This is also called midnight!
We switch from p.m. to a.m. at midnight. It is the start of a new day.
You're usually asleep at midnight, and it's dark outside.
Midnight is at 12:00 a.m. This is 1 minute after 11:59 p.m.!
Noon is at 12:00 p.m. This is 1 minute after 11:59 a.m.
Noon is when you eat lunch, and when the sun is high in the sky. Noon is the start of the second half of the day.
Tip: Sometimes clocks will show a.m. and p.m. as:
AM and PM
not a.m. and p.m.
That's ok. Sometimes it's easier to read AM and PM from far away.
👉 a.m. and p.m. is more correct when writing. ✅
Noon is 12:00 p.m.
One hour after 12:00 p.m. is 1:00 p.m.
One hour after 1:00 p.m. is 2:00 p.m.
Great job learning about a.m. and p.m.
Now, try the practice. It'll help you really get it.