The Catalan time system is the traditional manner in which to tell time in Catalan, and it is exclusive to this language. [1] Telling the time through this system works by dividing it in fractions of a quarter and half a quarter of an hour. Hour-fractions refer to the starting hour, taking into account that when a clock reaches a whole hour (e.g. three o'clock) it actually indicates its end.
The order is quarts-minuts-hora posterior (quarters-minutes-next hour). Hence, for example, 10:15 h would be un quart d'onze ("a quarter of eleven"); 12:30 h, dos quarts d'una ("two quarters of one"), and 19:52 h would be tres quarts i set minuts de vuit ("three quarters and seven minutes of eight"). Additionally, there are little variations by which the expression dos quarts ("two quarters") is shortened to just quarts ("quarters"); also, mig quart ("half a quarter") is used as an approximation in place of the too specific set minuts i mig ("seven minutes and a half").
The Catalan time system is restricted to 12-hour clocks; if necessary, one can specify if it's an hour of the morning (matinada or matí), noon (migdia), afternoon (tarda or vesprada), evening (vespre) or night (nit).