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Do you automatically know how to convert the time to military hours?

229 replies

GoldenHours · 27/08/2021 22:43

At work we always have to refer to military time/a 24 hour clock. I often see people having to count with their fingers to what the time is (e.g. counting that 8pm is 20:00). Similarly, with months I see people having to count with their fingers what number month it is when writing the date (e.g. counting to see that August is the 8th month).

Do you know the time in 24 hours and the number of the months off-by-heart or do you have to count it?

OP posts:
Gingernaut · 30/08/2021 13:03

00:00

Rabia9652 · 23/09/2026 11:16

CurlyhairedAssassin · 27/08/2021 22:45

I’ve never heard the 24 hour clock referred to as military hours. I think once you start booking flights as a young adult or pay online with debit cards or fill in date of birth online, for example, then you quickly get used to not having to “work them out”.

I agree — once you use it regularly, 24-hour time and month numbers become second nature. I don't even think about it anymore.
But I've found that some date conversions aren't so straightforward. Since moving to Saudi Arabia, I often have to deal with both the Gregorian and Hijri calendars. Filling out official forms, school applications, or even banking documents sometimes requires a Hijri date, and it's not something you can just "work out" in your head like 8pm = 20:00.
For that, I usually rely on an online tool to convert dates between the two calendars. It's been a lifesaver for avoiding mistakes on paperwork. Anyone else here ever have to juggle different calendar systems?

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 23/09/2026 11:20

Yes, I remember being taught it at school too and how to read a timetable.

JackJarvisEsq · 23/09/2026 11:47

I taught myself as a child through teletext world clock

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