Breakdown of Mi cita termina a las nueve menos cuarto.
mi
my
nueve
nine
el cuarto
the quarter
menos
less; to (telling the time: a quarter to two)
a
at (a time)
la cita
the appointment / the date (romantic)
terminar
to finish / to end up (in a state) / to quite manage (in negatives, + infinitive)
Questions & Answers about Mi cita termina a las nueve menos cuarto.
The lesson talks about using ser to tell time, like son las nueve. Why does this sentence use a las instead?
How exactly does menos cuarto translate to "a quarter to"?
In Spain, when telling time past the half-hour, you look ahead to the next hour and subtract minutes. Menos means "minus" and cuarto means "a quarter." So nueve menos cuarto literally means "nine minus a quarter."
Cuarto looks a lot like the number four. Are they the same?
They are related but different! Cuatro means "four," while cuarto means "a quarter" (or "fourth"). Be careful with the spelling, as mixing up the r and the t is a very common beginner mistake.
Does the word cita mean "appointment" or "date"?
It means both! A cita can refer to a professional appointment, like seeing a dentist, or a romantic date. You just have to rely on the context of the conversation to know which one it is.
Learn Mi cita termina a las nueve menos cuarto and more in Spanish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free