¿Qué hora es? Mastering How to Tell Time in Spanish

Learning how to tell time is a fundamental skill in any language. In Spanish, asking “What time is it?” and understanding the response involves more than just memorizing numbers.

It requires grasping grammatical structures, cultural nuances, and specific vocabulary. This article provides a comprehensive guide to mastering the art of telling time in Spanish, from the basic question to more complex expressions and common pitfalls.

Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, this guide will equip you with the knowledge and practice you need to confidently navigate time-related conversations in Spanish.

This guide is perfect for students of Spanish at any level, travelers planning a trip to a Spanish-speaking country, or anyone simply interested in expanding their linguistic abilities. By the end of this article, you’ll be able to ask and answer questions about time accurately and naturally, enriching your communication skills and cultural understanding.

Table of Contents

Definition: Asking and Telling Time in Spanish

The most common way to ask “What time is it?” in Spanish is ¿Qué hora es? This literally translates to “What hour is it?” The response will typically begin with Es la… (It is one o’clock) for one o’clock or Son las… (It is…) for all other hours. Telling time in Spanish involves using the verbs *ser* (to be) and understanding the masculine and feminine articles *el* and *la*.

Understanding how to tell time in Spanish goes beyond simply translating numbers. It involves using specific grammatical structures and vocabulary related to time.

The structure is quite logical, but it requires practice to become fluent. Mastering this skill is essential for making appointments, understanding schedules, and generally navigating daily life in a Spanish-speaking environment.

Structural Breakdown of Time Expressions

The basic structure for telling time in Spanish is as follows:

  • ¿Qué hora es? – What time is it?
  • Es la una… – It is one o’clock…
  • Son las… – It is… (for all hours except one)
  • [Hour] y [Minutes] – [Hour] and [Minutes]
  • [Hour] y cuarto – [Hour] and a quarter (15 minutes)
  • [Hour] y media – [Hour] and a half (30 minutes)
  • Menos [Minutes] – Minus [Minutes] (used when counting down to the next hour)

For example, to say 2:15, you would say Son las dos y cuarto (It is two and a quarter). To say 2:30, you would say Son las dos y media (It is two and a half). To say 2:45, you would say Son las tres menos cuarto (It is three minus a quarter). This structure is consistent and logical once you understand the basic components.

Types of Time Expressions in Spanish

Formal vs. Informal

While the core structure remains the same, the level of formality can influence your word choice. In formal settings, you might be more precise.

In informal settings, you can use approximations and casual expressions.

For example, instead of saying “Son las tres y cinco” (It’s three and five), you could simply say “Son las tres y pico” in an informal setting, which translates to “It’s a little after three.”

Hours and Minutes

To express the time with specific hours and minutes, you use the structure Son las [hour] y [minutes]. The numbers for hours and minutes are used directly. Remember that “es la” is used for one o’clock (1:00), and “son las” is used for all other hours.

For instance, 5:10 is Son las cinco y diez, and 10:20 is Son las diez y veinte.

Quarter Hours and Half Hours

Spanish uses specific terms for quarter hours and half hours. Fifteen minutes past the hour is y cuarto (and a quarter), and thirty minutes past the hour is y media (and a half).

Thus, 3:15 is Son las tres y cuarto, and 7:30 is Son las siete y media.

Adding Minutes After the Hour

When adding minutes after the hour, you simply use the word y (and) followed by the number of minutes. This is straightforward and easy to understand.

For example, 6:05 is Son las seis y cinco, and 9:25 is Son las nueve y veinticinco.

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Subtracting Minutes from the Next Hour

To express time as “minutes to” the next hour, you use the structure Menos [minutes]. This means “minus [minutes]” and indicates how many minutes are left until the next hour.

For example, 4:50 (ten to five) is Son las cinco menos diez. 11:45 (quarter to twelve) is Son las doce menos cuarto.

Examples of Telling Time in Spanish

The following tables provide various examples of how to tell time in Spanish, covering different hours and minute combinations. These examples are divided into categories to help you understand the different ways to express time.

The table below shows examples of telling time on the hour.

Time Spanish
1:00 Es la una en punto.
2:00 Son las dos en punto.
3:00 Son las tres en punto.
4:00 Son las cuatro en punto.
5:00 Son las cinco en punto.
6:00 Son las seis en punto.
7:00 Son las siete en punto.
8:00 Son las ocho en punto.
9:00 Son las nueve en punto.
10:00 Son las diez en punto.
11:00 Son las once en punto.
12:00 Son las doce en punto.
13:00 (1:00 PM) Es la una de la tarde.
14:00 (2:00 PM) Son las dos de la tarde.
15:00 (3:00 PM) Son las tres de la tarde.
16:00 (4:00 PM) Son las cuatro de la tarde.
17:00 (5:00 PM) Son las cinco de la tarde.
18:00 (6:00 PM) Son las seis de la tarde.
19:00 (7:00 PM) Son las siete de la noche.
20:00 (8:00 PM) Son las ocho de la noche.
21:00 (9:00 PM) Son las nueve de la noche.
22:00 (10:00 PM) Son las diez de la noche.
23:00 (11:00 PM) Son las once de la noche.
00:00 (12:00 AM) Es la medianoche.

The table below shows examples of telling time with “y cuarto” (quarter past) and “y media” (half past).

Time Spanish
1:15 Es la una y cuarto.
2:15 Son las dos y cuarto.
3:15 Son las tres y cuarto.
4:15 Son las cuatro y cuarto.
5:15 Son las cinco y cuarto.
6:15 Son las seis y cuarto.
7:15 Son las siete y cuarto.
8:15 Son las ocho y cuarto.
9:15 Son las nueve y cuarto.
10:15 Son las diez y cuarto.
11:15 Son las once y cuarto.
12:15 Son las doce y cuarto.
1:30 Es la una y media.
2:30 Son las dos y media.
3:30 Son las tres y media.
4:30 Son las cuatro y media.
5:30 Son las cinco y media.
6:30 Son las seis y media.
7:30 Son las siete y media.
8:30 Son las ocho y media.
9:30 Son las nueve y media.
10:30 Son las diez y media.
11:30 Son las once y media.
12:30 Son las doce y media.

The table below shows examples of telling time using “menos” (minus) to indicate minutes before the next hour.

Time Spanish
1:45 Son las dos menos cuarto.
2:50 Son las tres menos diez.
3:55 Son las cuatro menos cinco.
4:35 Son las cinco menos veinticinco.
5:40 Son las seis menos veinte.
6:55 Son las siete menos cinco.
7:45 Son las ocho menos cuarto.
8:50 Son las nueve menos diez.
9:35 Son las diez menos veinticinco.
10:40 Son las once menos veinte.
11:55 Son las doce menos cinco.
12:45 Es la una menos cuarto.
1:50 Son las dos menos diez.
2:35 Son las tres menos veinticinco.
3:40 Son las cuatro menos veinte.
4:55 Son las cinco menos cinco.
5:35 Son las seis menos veinticinco.
6:40 Son las siete menos veinte.
7:55 Son las ocho menos cinco.
8:35 Son las nueve menos veinticinco.
9:40 Son las diez menos veinte.
10:55 Son las once menos cinco.
11:35 Son las doce menos veinticinco.

The following table provides examples of telling time with specific minutes.

Time Spanish
1:05 Es la una y cinco.
2:10 Son las dos y diez.
3:20 Son las tres y veinte.
4:25 Son las cuatro y veinticinco.
5:35 Son las cinco y treinta y cinco.
6:40 Son las seis y cuarenta.
7:50 Son las siete y cincuenta.
8:55 Son las ocho y cincuenta y cinco.
9:01 Son las nueve y uno.
10:11 Son las diez y once.
11:21 Son las once y veintiuno.
12:31 Son las doce y treinta y uno.
1:41 Es la una y cuarenta y uno.
2:51 Son las dos y cincuenta y uno.
3:02 Son las tres y dos.
4:12 Son las cuatro y doce.
5:22 Son las cinco y veintidós.
6:32 Son las seis y treinta y dos.
7:42 Son las siete y cuarenta y dos.
8:52 Son las ocho y cincuenta y dos.
9:03 Son las nueve y tres.
10:13 Son las diez y trece.
11:23 Son las once y veintitrés.
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This table shows examples of specifying the time of day (morning, afternoon, evening, night).

Time Spanish
7:00 AM Son las siete de la mañana.
9:00 AM Son las nueve de la mañana.
11:00 AM Son las once de la mañana.
1:00 PM Es la una de la tarde.
3:00 PM Son las tres de la tarde.
5:00 PM Son las cinco de la tarde.
7:00 PM Son las siete de la noche.
9:00 PM Son las nueve de la noche.
11:00 PM Son las once de la noche.
12:00 AM (Midnight) Es la medianoche.
12:00 PM (Noon) Es el mediodía.
6:00 AM Son las seis de la mañana.
8:00 AM Son las ocho de la mañana.
10:00 AM Son las diez de la mañana.
2:00 PM Son las dos de la tarde.
4:00 PM Son las cuatro de la tarde.
6:00 PM Son las seis de la tarde.
8:00 PM Son las ocho de la noche.
10:00 PM Son las diez de la noche.
4:00 AM Son las cuatro de la madrugada.
5:00 AM Son las cinco de la madrugada.

Usage Rules for Telling Time

Using Ser vs. Estar

When telling time, the verb ser (to be) is used. Specifically, the forms es (for la una) and son (for all other hours) are used. This is because you are describing what time it *is*, a permanent characteristic of the moment.

Es la una (It is one o’clock). Son las dos (It is two o’clock).

Using Más and Menos

The words más (more) and menos (less) are crucial when you want to specify minutes before or after the hour. *Más* is not explicitly stated; instead, “y” (and) is used. *Menos* is used to subtract minutes from the upcoming hour.

Son las tres y diez (It is three and ten – 3:10). Son las cuatro menos veinte (It is twenty to four – 3:40).

Using de la mañana, de la tarde, de la noche

To specify the time of day, you add de la mañana (in the morning), de la tarde (in the afternoon), or de la noche (at night) after the time. This is essential for clarity, especially when using the 12-hour clock.

Son las ocho de la mañana (It’s eight in the morning). Son las cinco de la tarde (It’s five in the afternoon). Son las diez de la noche (It’s ten at night).

Midnight and Noon

Midnight is expressed as la medianoche and noon is expressed as el mediodía. Note the use of the definite articles *la* and *el* with these terms.

Es la medianoche (It is midnight). Es el mediodía (It is noon).

Common Mistakes When Telling Time

One common mistake is using *estar* instead of *ser* when telling time. Remember, time *is*, so use *ser*.

  • Incorrect: Está la una.
  • Correct: Es la una.

Another mistake is forgetting to use “es la” for one o’clock and “son las” for all other hours.

  • Incorrect: Son la una.
  • Correct: Es la una.

Forgetting to include “de la mañana,” “de la tarde,” or “de la noche” can cause confusion, especially when the context doesn’t make the time of day clear.

  • Unclear: Son las seis. (Could be 6 AM or 6 PM)
  • Clear: Son las seis de la mañana. (It’s 6 AM)

Practice Exercises

Test your knowledge with these practice exercises. Translate the following times into Spanish:

# Time Your Answer Correct Answer
1 3:00 PM Son las tres de la tarde.
2 7:15 AM Son las siete y cuarto de la mañana.
3 10:30 PM Son las diez y media de la noche.
4 1:45 PM Son las dos menos cuarto de la tarde.
5 6:05 AM Son las seis y cinco de la mañana.
6 11:50 PM Es la medianoche menos diez. / Son las doce menos diez de la noche.
7 2:20 PM Son las dos y veinte de la tarde.
8 8:35 AM Son las nueve menos veinticinco de la mañana.
9 4:40 PM Son las cinco menos veinte de la tarde.
10 9:55 AM Son las diez menos cinco de la mañana.

Translate the following Spanish phrases into English:

# Spanish Your Answer Correct Answer
1 Es la una de la mañana. It is one o’clock in the morning.
2 Son las cinco y media de la tarde. It is five thirty in the afternoon.
3 Son las diez menos cuarto de la noche. It is quarter to ten at night.
4 Son las tres y diez de la mañana. It is three ten in the morning.
5 Es el mediodía. It is noon.
6 Son las seis menos cinco de la tarde. It is five to six in the afternoon.
7 Son las once y veinticinco de la noche. It is eleven twenty-five at night.
8 Son las dos y cuarto de la tarde. It is quarter past two in the afternoon.
9 Es la medianoche. It is midnight.
10 Son las nueve y cincuenta de la mañana. It is nine fifty in the morning.
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Advanced Topics in Telling Time

Time Zones

When discussing time across different regions, it’s essential to specify the time zone. You can use phrases like “hora local” (local time) or specify the time zone abbreviation (e.g., PST, EST).

For example: Son las tres de la tarde, hora local. (It’s three in the afternoon, local time.)

Expressing Duration

To express duration, you use phrases like “durante” (during), “por” (for), or “en” (in). These prepositions help indicate how long an event lasts.

For example: La reunión duró dos horas. (The meeting lasted two hours.) Voy a estudiar por una hora. (I am going to study for one hour.)

Expressing Approximate Time

Sometimes, you don’t need to be precise. You can use phrases like “alrededor de” (around), “cerca de” (close to), or “más o menos” (more or less) to indicate approximate times.

For example: Llegaré alrededor de las cinco. (I will arrive around five.) Son cerca de las diez. (It’s close to ten.) Llegaré más o menos a las ocho. (I’ll arrive more or less at eight.)

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Why is it “Es la una” and not “Son la una”?

    The phrase “Es la una” is used because “una” (one) is singular. The verb “ser” agrees in number with the hour being stated. Since “una” refers to one o’clock, the singular form “es” is used. For all other hours, which are plural, “son” is used.

  2. How do I say “a.m.” and “p.m.” in Spanish?

    Instead of using “a.m.” and “p.m.,” Spanish speakers typically use “de la mañana” (in the morning), “de la tarde” (in the afternoon), and “de la noche” (at night) to specify the time of day. For example, 8 a.m. is “Son las ocho de la mañana,” and 8 p.m. is “Son las ocho de la noche.”

  3. What does “en punto” mean?

    “En punto” means “exactly” or “on the dot.” It is used to specify that the time is exactly on the hour with no minutes. For example, “Son las cinco en punto” means “It is exactly five o’clock.”

  4. How do I ask what time something starts or ends?

    To ask what time something starts, you can use the question “¿A qué hora empieza…?” or “¿A qué hora comienza…?” For example, “¿A qué hora empieza la clase?” (What time does the class start?) To ask what time something ends, you can use the question “¿A qué hora termina…?” For example, “¿A qué hora termina la película?” (What time does the movie end?)

  5. Is it common to use the 24-hour clock in Spanish-speaking countries?

    While the 12-hour clock is more common in everyday conversation, the 24-hour clock is often used in formal settings, such as schedules, transportation timetables, and official documents. In these contexts, it eliminates any ambiguity between a.m. and p.m.

  6. How do I say “half past” in Spanish?

    To say “half past” in Spanish, you use “y media.” For example, “half past six” is “Son las seis y media.”

  7. What’s the difference between “mediodía” and “medianoche”?

    “Mediodía” refers to noon (12:00 PM), while “medianoche” refers to midnight (12:00 AM). “Medio” means “mid-,” “día” means “day,” and “noche” means “night.”

  8. Can I use “cuarto para” instead of “menos cuarto”?

    While “menos cuarto” is the standard way to say “quarter to,” some regions might use “cuarto para.” However, “menos cuarto” is more universally understood and recommended for clarity.

Conclusion

Mastering how to tell time in Spanish is a crucial step in achieving fluency and cultural competence. By understanding the structure, vocabulary, and usage rules, you can confidently navigate time-related conversations and schedules.

This comprehensive guide has provided you with the necessary tools and examples to ask “What time is it?” and understand the response, whether it’s “Es la una” or “Son las diez y media de la noche.”

Remember to practice regularly and immerse yourself in the language to further enhance your skills. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes – they are a natural part of the learning process.

With dedication and consistent effort, you’ll be able to tell time in Spanish with ease and accuracy, enriching your communication abilities and cultural understanding.

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