Have a question about time telling in Italy. If I'm making a reservation for 7:45 PM -- is it correct to say "venti meno un quarto"? My understanding is that it is proper to "minus" (meno) the partial hour when you are closer to the whole hour in the future than to the one that has already passed.
Posted by
Abruzzo Mountains
1089 posts
that is correct. You would add "alle" meaning "at" in front of the time phrase. For example, "Vorrei prenotare un tavolo per due alle venti meno un quarto"
Wishing you lots of good meals on your trip!
Posted by
OP
New Jersey
220 posts
Grazie, Nelly! This is so helpful. I am copying and pasting your response in an easy-to-find spot in my travel notebook.
Posted by
390 posts
I'm confused...venti is 20.
due alle sette meno un quarto.
Posted by
Paris
10335 posts
Sette meno un quarto = 6:45, not 7:45
Posted by
OP
New Jersey
220 posts
cafetista.bruja, using venti (20) as I'm going by the 24-hour clock that they use in Italy/Europe. From 12 noon on you increase by 1. For example, 1:00 PM = 13:00, 2:00 PM = 14:00 and 3:00 PM = 15:00 etc. all the way up to 8:00 PM which equals 20. I do feel like my brain gets a bit scrambled making these conversions while simultaneously speaking it in Italian.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16168 posts
What is wrong with just saying DICIANNOVE E QUARANTACINQUE? or simply UN TAVOLO PER DUE PER UN QUARTO ALLE OTTO STASERA (or DOMANI SERA if you book the day before).
In spoken language the more formal 24 hour clock is not always used. It is common to colloquially say ALLE OTTO rather than ALLE VENTI.
Saying VENTI MENO UN QUARTO would be rather unusual because it uses a formal 24 hour clock definition with an informal colloquial MENO UN QUARTO.
Posted by
Oxford, United Kingdom
5475 posts
Yes, if you use the 24-hour clock you have to use it completely.
Not much ambiguity when booking dinner, more if you were booking transport.
Posted by
OP
New Jersey
220 posts
Roberto and Marco, thank you for shedding more light on this. There is more to this than I realized.