12:30 PM correctly written

Question

I am writing an invitation for an event to start at 12:30 PM(afternoon). Should it be 12:30 de la mañana, 12:30 de la noche or 12:30 de la tarde?

Thanks I have searched this on this site and on google and get conflicting thoughts.

Answer 1

Avispao is right, technically midnight is 12 am - 12 hours ante (before) meridiem (noon)

(Don't confuse this with ante 'meridian' / of or related to 'the morning')

so 12 lunch time is shown as 12 pm.

This doesn't make much sense as 12 pm 'is' actually noon and not 12 hours after noon but there you go, the official explanation is just that it signals the entry into post meridium period. Whichever way you look at it, it can get confusing. jeje For that reason Avispao's suggestion to use '12 de la tarde' is a good one and will definitely eliminate any confusion.

This is avoided in speech because you use use 'mediodía' to talk about 12 noon. I guess you could write - El mediodía y media?

Answer 2

12:30 de la tarde (it's the afternoon)

You can also write "p.m." without any issue.

Answer 3

Thank you both for your help.

A great way to also thank people for taking the time to answer is to give them a vote. - katydew, Jan 21, 2013

de nada, please accept a vote for being so polite jeje - Kiwi-Girl, Jan 21, 2013

Answer 4

At least in Colombia, a.m. and p.m. are used the same as they are in English. I find here though that they add the a.m. and p.m. where in English it would be redundant. An example would be advertising a 'happy hour' in a bar between 6 and 7, obviously it is not between 6 and 7 a.m. but I'm told that it p.m. still needs to appear.

One that we don't have in English is 12 m., meaning 12 midday.

Answer 5

Thanks that is what I thought too, but then I read this and it gave me doubts.

If you read the first line of the first paragraph and see how they wrote 'right' you're going to have to worry straight away jeje - Kiwi-Girl, Jan 21, 2013