What time is it when both hands point to 12?

A clock has a short hour hand and long minute hand. When both point straight up at 12, zero minutes have passed in that hour, so it's exactly twelve o'clock.

Half past means the minute hand points at the 6, showing thirty minutes passed. Quarter to means it points near the 9, fifteen minutes before the next hour — neither matches both hands at 12.

Clocks like this have been used for centuries, and the 12 numbers trace back to ancient systems for dividing daylight into equal parts.