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20:00 in 12-Hour Time
20:00 is 8:00 PM.
Written 2000 in military time and said “twenty hundred hours”. Going the other way, 8:00 PM is 20:00.
The 20:00 hour is the hour theatre curtains go up and evening flights leave.
24-hour clock
20:00
12-hour clock
8:00 PM
Said aloud: “twenty hundred hours” on the 24-hour clock, “eight o'clock in the evening” on the 12-hour one.
Why 20:00 converts the way it does
This is the half of the day that actually changes. From 13:00 to 23:00, subtract 12 to get the 12-hour hour and label it PM: 20 − 12 = 8, so 20:xx is 8:xx PM. Going the other way, add 12 to any PM hour except 12 PM itself.
The minutes are the same on both clocks — a whole hour stays a whole hour — and 20:00 is in the evening, which is the information the AM/PM label is carrying.
Need this time to actually do something? Set an alarm for 8:00 PM, or use the timer to count a length of time instead of waiting for a clock time.
Common questions
What is 20:00 in 12-hour time?
20:00 is 8:00 PM. The minutes are unchanged; the hour is 20 − 12 = 8, and it takes PM.
What is 8:00 PM in 24-hour time?
8:00 PM is 20:00, written 2000 in military time.
How do you say 2000 out loud?
In military time it is said "twenty hundred hours". On a 12-hour clock the same moment is "eight o'clock in the evening".