What Time Is It In Spanish

Telling time in Spanish is an essential skill for anyone traveling to a Spanish-speaking country or communicating with Spanish speakers. Understanding how to tell time in Spanish can help you navigate everyday situations, from scheduling appointments to meeting with friends.

Spanish Time-Telling Basics

In Spanish, the day is divided into two main periods: morning (mañana) and afternoon/evening (tarde/noche). The morning period starts at midnight (medianoche) and ends at 12:00 PM (mediodía), while the afternoon/evening period starts at 12:01 PM and ends at 11:59 PM.

To tell time in Spanish, you'll need to use the following vocabulary:

La hora (the hour)
Las horas (the hours)
El minuto (the minute)
Los minutos (the minutes)

Hours and Half Hours

To tell the time in Spanish, you can use the following phrases:

Es la una (it's 1 o'clock)
Son las dos (it's 2 o'clock)
Es la una y media (it's 1:30)
Son las dos y media (it's 2:30)

Note that when telling the time, the verb "es" is used for 1 o'clock, while "son" is used for all other hours.

Telling Time in Spanish Using Half Hours

When telling time in Spanish, it's common to use half hours instead of minutes. For example:

Es la una y cuarto (it's 1:15)
Son las dos y cuarto (it's 2:15)
Es la una y media (it's 1:30)
Son las dos y media (it's 2:30)

To tell the time using half hours, you can use the following phrases:

Y cuarto (and a quarter)
Y media (and a half)
Y tres cuartos (and three quarters)

Minutes Past the Hour

To tell the time in Spanish using minutes past the hour, you can use the following phrases:

Son las tres y cinco minutos (it's 3:05)
Son las cuatro y diez minutos (it's 4:10)
Son las cinco y quince minutos (it's 5:15)

Quarter Hours and Half Hours

To tell the time in Spanish using quarter hours and half hours, you can use the following phrases:

Es la una y un cuarto (it's 1:15)
Son las dos y un cuarto (it's 2:15)
Es la una y media (it's 1:30)
Son las dos y media (it's 2:30)

Minutes to the Hour

To tell the time in Spanish using minutes to the hour, you can use the following phrases:

Son las tres menos cinco minutos (it's 2:55)
Son las cuatro menos diez minutos (it's 3:50)
Son las cinco menos quince minutos (it's 4:45)

Time-Telling Exercises

Here are some exercises to help you practice telling time in Spanish:

What time is it if it's 3 hours and 15 minutes past noon? Answer: Son las tres y cuarto.
What time is it if it's 2 hours and 45 minutes past midnight? Answer: Son las dos y cuarenta y cinco minutos.
What time is it if it's 1 hour and 30 minutes past 3 PM? Answer: Son las cuatro y media.

Common Time-Telling Phrases

Here are some common time-telling phrases in Spanish:

¿Qué hora es? (what time is it?)
La hora es... (the time is...)
Son las... (it's...)
Es la... (it's...)

Conclusion

Telling time in Spanish is an essential skill for anyone traveling to a Spanish-speaking country or communicating with Spanish speakers. By learning the basics of time-telling in Spanish, you can navigate everyday situations with ease. Practice the exercises and phrases provided in this article to improve your time-telling skills in Spanish.

What is the difference between "es" and "son" when telling time in Spanish?

When telling time in Spanish, "es" is used for 1 o'clock, while "son" is used for all other hours.

How do I tell time in Spanish using half hours?

To tell time in Spanish using half hours, you can use the phrases "y cuarto" (and a quarter), "y media" (and a half), and "y tres cuartos" (and three quarters).

What is the phrase for "what time is it" in Spanish?

The phrase for "what time is it" in Spanish is "¿Qué hora es?"