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Questions & Answers about Es la hora de cenar.
Why is it Es and not Está?
Spanish uses the verb ser to talk about time and fixed schedules. Es la hora de… is a set expression. Using estar here (✗ Está la hora de cenar) is ungrammatical. Compare: Es la una, Son las ocho, Es hora de comer.
Do I need the article la? I’ve also seen Es hora de cenar.
Both Es la hora de cenar and Es hora de cenar are correct. Omitting the article is very common and slightly snappier; including it can sound a bit more formal/emphatic. Meaning is the same.
Why is hora feminine?
Because the noun hora is feminine in Spanish, so it takes la: la hora. Other time words: la tarde, la noche, but el día (masculine).
Why is it de + infinitive (de cenar)? Could I say de cenando?
After prepositions (like de), Spanish uses the infinitive, not the gerund. So it must be de cenar. ✗ de cenando is wrong. More examples: Es hora de dormir, de estudiar, de salir.
Can I use para instead of de? Es la hora para cenar?
Use de with this pattern: Es (la) hora de + infinitive. Es hora para cenar is not idiomatic. If you use para, it typically takes a noun: Es hora para la cena (possible but much less common than Es hora de cenar).
Is Es la hora de la cena correct? How does it differ from Es la hora de cenar?
Yes, it’s correct. De la cena uses the noun (the mealtime as an event), while de cenar uses the action (to have dinner). Both mean “It’s dinner time.” The noun version can feel a touch more formal or schedule-like.
Does cenar mean “to eat dinner” or “to have dinner”? Do I need to add la cena?
Cenar already means “to have dinner,” so don’t say ✗ cenar la cena. You can specify what you eat: Cenamos pizza, Voy a cenar pescado.
In Spain, what meal is cenar? Could it be lunch?
In Spain:
- desayunar = breakfast (morning)
- comer = main midday meal (around 2–3 pm)
- cenar = evening meal (often 9–10 pm) Note: almorzar in Spain often refers to a mid‑morning snack; in Latin America it often means “to eat lunch.”
Why not Son la hora? I thought telling time often uses the plural.
Here the subject is singular la hora, so it’s Es la hora…. You use Son las… when stating the hour with a number: Son las ocho, but Es la una and Es la hora de….
How do I turn it into a question?
Keep the word order and use question intonation and punctuation: ¿Es la hora de cenar? Possible answers: Sí, es la hora de cenar / No, todavía no es la hora de cenar.
Any pronunciation tips for Spain?
- The h in hora is silent.
- The c in cenar (before e) is pronounced like English “th” in much of Spain: [θ]enar; in Latin America it’s like s.
- Final r in cenar is a light tap.
- Say Es la smoothly together without a pause.
Can I add ya to mean “already/now”?
Yes. Ya es (la) hora de cenar = “It’s already time to have dinner.” Variants:
- Ya casi es la hora de cenar (It’s almost dinner time).
- Todavía no es la hora de cenar (It’s not dinner time yet).
What are some natural alternatives?
- Toca cenar. (It’s time to have dinner.)
- Vamos a cenar. (Let’s have dinner.)
- ¡A cenar! (Dinner time! / Come eat!)
- Es el momento de cenar. (More formal/literary.)
- Ha llegado la hora de cenar. (The time has come to have dinner.)
Is Es tiempo de cenar acceptable?
Grammatically yes, but for routine mealtimes Spaniards prefer Es (la) hora de cenar. Es tiempo de… fits broader, less clock‑specific contexts: Es tiempo de cambiar.
Can I use other verbs after Es (la) hora de?
Yes: Es hora de dormir / estudiar / salir / llamar. With reflexives, include the pronoun: Es hora de acostarnos (for us), Es hora de acostarse (impersonal), Es hora de lavarte los dientes (you).
How would I say it in the past or future?
- Background past: Era la hora de cenar.
- Narrative/solemn: Fue la hora de cenar (rarer; stylistic).
- Future/guess or probability: Será la hora de cenar (“It must be dinner time”).
- Arrival of the moment: Ha llegado la hora de cenar.
Is the sentence formal or informal?
Neutral. It works in any register. You can make it more formal (Señores, es la hora de cenar) or casual/urgent (¡Venga, es hora de cenar!).
What does A la hora de cenar mean?
It means “at dinner time / when it’s time to have dinner,” often introducing a clause: A la hora de cenar, nadie tenía hambre. This is different from Es (la) hora de cenar, which states that the time is now.
Can I drop Es and just say Hora de cenar?
Yes, as a headline, label, or exclamation: ¡Hora de cenar! In full sentences, keep the verb: Es hora de cenar.
Any common mistakes to avoid?
- ✗ Está la hora de cenar (use Es).
- ✗ de cenando (use infinitive: de cenar).
- ✗ cenar la cena (just cenar or cenar + food).
- ✗ Es hora para cenar (use Es hora de cenar).