Question 1

Why do we use a las instead of just a for "at"?

Accepted Answer

When referring to a specific time in Spanish, we almost always include the feminine article (la or las). This is because it refers to the hidden word horas (hours), which is feminine. Since eight is a plural number, we use the plural form a las.

Question 2

Since the lesson is about telling time with the verb ser, why don't we use son in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

You use son las (or es la for one o'clock) when you want to state what the time currently is, like "It is eight o'clock." But when you want to say at what time an event happens, you drop the verb ser and just use a las after the main action. Here, the action is sale (leaves).

Question 3

Literally, what does ocho menos cuarto mean?

Accepted Answer

It literally means "eight minus a quarter." In Spanish, once the time passes the 30-minute mark, it is very common to state the next hour (ocho) and subtract the remaining minutes using the word menos to get there.

Question 4

I thought the word for four was cuatro. Is cuarto a typo?

Accepted Answer

They look incredibly similar, but they are two different words! Cuatro means "four," while cuarto means "quarter" (or "fourth"). Pay close attention to whether the r comes before or after the t.

Question 5

Could I just say siete y cuarenta y cinco (seven forty-five) instead?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! Just like in English, saying siete y cuarenta y cinco is perfectly correct. However, ocho menos cuarto is very natural and frequently used by native speakers, so it is important to be able to recognize it.

El vuelo sale a las ocho menos cuarto.

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