Asking and Telling Time
To tell time in Spanish, we use the verb ser (to be) and the feminine articles la or las. We use feminine articles because we are always referring to the word la hora (the hour).
| What time is it? | ¿Qué hora es? |
Es la vs. Son las
Because one o'clock is a single hour, we use the singular form es la. For all other hours, we use the plural form son las. You can add the phrase en punto to say it is "exactly" or "on the dot".
| It is exactly one o'clock. | Es la una en punto. |
| It is two o'clock. | Son las dos. |
Adding and Subtracting Minutes
To add minutes past the hour, use y (and). For a quarter past, use y cuarto, and for half past, use y media.
| It is a quarter past three. | Son las tres y cuarto. |
| It is half past four. | Son las cuatro y media. |
Once you pass the half-hour mark, it is common to round up to the next hour and subtract minutes using the word menos (less).
| It is a quarter to five. | Son las cinco menos cuarto. |
| It is ten to six. | Son las seis menos diez. |
Scheduling Events
To say that an event happens at a specific time, simply use the preposition a (at) before the article and the hour.
| What time does the flight leave? | ¿A qué hora sale el vuelo? |
| The flight leaves at exactly seven. | El vuelo sale a las siete en punto. |
| The meeting starts at half past eight. | La reunión empieza a las ocho y media. |
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