Subtract -12 from -8

Explanation

Since -12 is the number to be subtracted, we reverse the order in which -12 and -8 appear in the sentence when translating to symbols.

-8 -(-12) (Write -12 within parentheses)

To find this difference, we write the subtraction as addition of the opposite:

-8 - (-12) = -8 + 12 = 4