Telling the Time in Spanish

Telling time in Spanish is simple once you know a few patterns.

Asking

• ¿Qué hora es? What time is it?
• ¿A qué hora...? At what time...?

On the hour

Use es la for one o'clock and son las for all other hours:

• Es la una. It's one o'clock.
• Son las dos. It's two o'clock.
• Son las cinco. It's five o'clock.

Past the hour

Add y (and) and the minutes:

• Son las tres y diez. It's ten past three.
• Son las ocho y cinco. It's five past eight.

Quarters and half

• y cuarto, quarter past: Son las cuatro y cuarto.
• y media, half past: Son las seis y media.
• menos cuarto, quarter to: Son las siete menos cuarto.

To the hour

Use menos (minus):

• Son las nueve menos diez. It's ten to nine.
• Son las dos menos veinte. It's twenty to two.

Parts of the day

• de la mañana, in the morning (a.m.)
• de la tarde, in the afternoon or early evening
• de la noche, at night

Son las ocho de la mañana. It's eight in the morning.

At a time

• a las tres, at three o'clock
• a la una, at one o'clock
• Nos vemos a las ocho. See you at eight.

Noon and midnight

• mediodía, midday
• medianoche, midnight

24-hour clock

Timetables, transport and official schedules often use the 24-hour clock: las dieciocho horas.

Tips

1. es la una, son las...
2. y for past, menos for to.
3. Use the dictionary for time words.

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