Word
La hora punta cuesta más; la hora valle, en cambio, menos.
Meaning
The peak period costs more; the off-peak period, on the other hand, less.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of La hora punta cuesta más; la hora valle, en cambio, menos.
más
more
menos
less
en cambio
on the other hand
costar
to cost
Questions & Answers about La hora punta cuesta más; la hora valle, en cambio, menos.
Why is it la hora punta and la hora valle? What do those expressions mean literally?
Both are fixed expressions in Spanish.
- hora punta = peak hour / rush hour
- hora valle = off-peak hour
Literally:
- punta means point, tip, or peak
- valle means valley
So the image is similar to a graph:
- the high point of demand = hora punta
- the low valley of demand = hora valle
In Spain, these expressions are especially common for things like electricity tariffs, traffic, and transport.
Why is there la before both expressions?
Because both phrases use hora, which is a feminine singular noun:
- la hora punta
- la hora valle
Even though punta and valle are different words, the main noun is still hora, so the article agrees with hora, not with the second word.
Why is it cuesta and not es más cara?