2:30

[xiaoen]

2:30

1. It's half past two. :tick: BrE and AmE
2. It's two thirty.

BrE and AmE
3. It's half two.

BrE
4. It's half after two.

5. It's two and a half.

6. It's thirty past two.

7. It's a half past two.

Am I right?

 

[Skrej]

We have thoroughly answered this here and here. Changing the exact time doesn't change usage - are you going to ask this same question 57 more times just to cover all minutes in an hour?

 

[xiaoen]

We have thoroughly answered this here and here. Changing the exact time doesn't change usage - are you going to ask this same question 57 more times just to cover all minutes in an hour?

But in these two threads I haven't asked questions about 30 minutes (2:30).
In the threads you have quoted I had asked 2:10 and 2:15. Not 2:30.

 

[Skrej]

I repeat: Changing the minute does not change usage.


From :01-:30 use 'after' or 'past' the last hour.
From :31 - :59 use 'before', 'to', 'until', 'til', or 'of' the next hour.
At :00 use "o'clock" or just say the hour number. Exceptions are 12:00 a.m which may also be called 'midnight' and 12:00 p.m. which may also be called 'noon'.

:15 and :45 may be called 'quarters' and :30 may be called 'half' but they all still follow the guidelines above.

There may some variation in the prepositions between BrE and AmE as has already been discussed in other threads.

When in doubt, you'll always be safe to just say the number. For example 4:47 is 'four fourty-seven'.

 

[xiaoen]

2:30

1. It's half past two. :tick: BrE and AmE
2. It's two thirty.

BrE and AmE
3. It's half two.

BrE
4. It's half after two.

5. It's two and a half.

6. It's thirty past two.

7. It's a half past two.

Is this true that the third one is only spoken, not written?

 

[Tarheel]

Thirty minutes after two is often expressed as "half past two". (I have never heard of "half two" before.)

 

[Tarheel]

In a numbered list each number should have its own line.

 

[xiaoen]

(I have never heard of "half two" before.)

It's British.

 

[Raymott]

It's British.

What does "half two" mean? I've never been sure whether it means 1:30 or 2:30.
I'm sure Skrej's terms are all correct, but you could stick to 'past' and 'to', and be understood anywhere.

 

[xiaoen]

It's perfectly natural in informal British English for 2.30. This is confusing for speakers of, for example, German, where the equivalent words mean 1.30. It also appears to confuse some speakers of Australian English.

Is this true that the third one is only spoken, not written?

 

[Tarheel]

What does "half two" mean? I've never been sure whether it means 1:30 or 2:30.
I'm sure Skrej's terms are all correct, but you could stick to 'past' and 'to', and be understood anywhere.

Half two is one, isn't it?
;-)

 

[Raymott]

Half two is one, isn't it?
;-)

Apparently, half two is two and a half!