Catalan Clock
Introduction: Catalan Clock
In Catalan time is read a bit differently than in most other languages. At 00:00, is twelve o'clock, but after that time is not said as "amount of time that passed or that is missing until the next hour", but as "fraction of the current hour (which by english standard will be the next one)".
So at 00:15, is *un quart d'una* which translate to "a quarter of one"
00:30 -> "dos quarts d'una" -> "two quarters of one"
00:45 -> "tres quarts d'una" -> "three quarters of one"
This implies that from 00:01 to 01:00, we are living in the hour 1, and next minute we start the hour 2, and the in-betweens are tipically refered as one quarter, two quarters and three quarters of that hour.
So 02:30 will be "dos quarts de tres" -> "two quarters of 3".
To be a bit more precise, we also use "i5" and "i10" which translates to "and 5" and " and 10", but can be used with each number between 1 and 15.
So
03:20 -> "un quart i cinc de quatre" -> "one quarter and five (minutes) of 4".
03:25 -> "un quart i deu de quatre" -> "one quarter and ten of four"
04:42 -> "dos quarts i dotze de cinc" -> "two quarters and twelve of five"
The hours o'clock are called "en punt" that would translate literally to "on point", and will follow the same system, but if it is not exactly the o'clock you will drop the "en punt" qualifier.
05:00 -> "les cinc en punt" -> "five on point"
05:02 -> "les cinc i dos" -> "five and two"
Some times you can say it substracting minutes instead of adding them, using "menys" as in "minus"
05:10 -> "un quart menys cinc de sis" -> "a quarter minus five of six"
06:56 -> "les 7 menys quatre" -> "seven minus four"
The "i X" and "menys X" qualifiers can also be applied after the amount of quarters of the hour, so
07:17 can be both
-> un quart i dos de vuit (one quarter and two of eight)
-> un quart de vuit i dos (one quarter of eight and two)
08:42 can be both
-> tres quarts menys tres de nou (three quarters minus 3 of nine)
-> tres quarts de nou menys 3 (three quarters of nine minus three)
Supplies
Printable paper, clock mechanism, some meterial to make the needles.
Step 1: Print the Base of the Clock
Take the image, and print it on a rigid surface (or on a regular paper if you have already a clock with a surface where you want to place it).
Cut the paper in a shape that fits the clock you want.
Step 2: Cut the Needles
The trick with this clock is that the needles rhat clocks usually work with will not be good, so you will need to make an extension for the short one, as we want it to reach the limit of the clock, and make a small one to change the original long one for it.
In this case I added a piece of cardboard to the shord one, and made a new one with a piece of plastic, but any material will work, as long as it sticks to the mechanism.
Step 3: Check the Time
Check which time it is, and put your new clock acordingly, now you can start reading the time in catalan, and leave your friends astonished!!! 312