A Newbie’s Information to Telling Time in Spanish

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Regardless of the place you might be or what language you converse, the clock retains ticking. When you’ve discovered tips on how to rely in Spanish, having the ability to inform time will allow you to schedule duties and make social plans with folks. It’s additionally simple to be taught the fundamentals, even should you don’t have a radical understanding of the language. By the tip of this publish, you’ll have the important ability of having the ability to inform time in Spanish!

For a useful follow-up, check out our publish on Spanish days of the week to be taught much more about setting dates. Or, try our information on the 100+ commonest Spanish phrases. 

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The way to ask for the time in Spanish

Asking for the time in Spanish is easy. Simply memorize one or each of those phrases and also you’re set:

• ¿Qué hora es? = What time is it?
• ¿Tiene la hora? = Do you will have the time?

While you ask somebody for the time, chances are you’ll get a common reply reasonably than a particular one. In instances the place it’s worthwhile to know exactly what time it’s, you’ll be able to add “precisely” to your query:

• ¿Qué hora es exactamente? = What time is it precisely?
• ¿Tiene la hora exacta? = Do you will have the precise time?

The way to inform the time in Spanish

Listed here are two frequent methods you’ll be able to categorical time to different folks. Be aware that once you’re speaking concerning the time you’re referring to the hour, or hora, which is a female noun, so you must use the articles la and las as an alternative of el and los.

Hour and minutes

Essentially the most easy approach to categorical time is by giving the hour and the minutes. To do that, you’ll use a type of the verb ser (“to be”).

For many instances, you must use the plural type son adopted by the plural article las. As an illustration:

• Son las cinco. = It’s 5 o’clock.
• Son las doce. = It’s twelve o’clock.

While you’re speaking about one o’clock, midday, and midnight, you’ll as an alternative use the singular type of ser, which is es. For one o’clock, you’ll observe that with the singular article la. Check out these examples:

• Es la una. = It’s one o’clock.
• Es mediodía. = It’s midday.
• Es medianoche. = It’s midnight.

Right here’s a fast record of phrases you should utilize to inform time in Spanish when it’s on the hour: 

To incorporate minutes, merely add y (“and”) after the hour after which say the quantity for what number of minutes have handed, like so:

• Son las ocho y veintiséis. = It’s 8:26.
• Es la una y catorce. = It’s 1:14.

“Quarter previous,” “half previous,” and “quarter to”

Like in English, it’s additionally frequent in Spanish to divide an hour into quarters and halves. You may categorical time on this manner utilizing the phrase media for a half-hour and cuarto for a quarter-hour. Listed here are some examples:

• Es la una y media. = It’s half previous one.
• Son las as soon as y cuarto. = It’s a quarter previous eleven.

If it’s 1 / 4 to the subsequent hour, you’ll as an alternative say that it’s the subsequent hour menos cuarto, like this:

• Son las tres menos cuarto. = It’s a quarter till three.

The way to use “menos” to inform time 

When a time falls from 31 to 59 minutes previous the hour (i.e. 10:39PM), you will have two choices. The primary is to simply say the hour and minutes, like in these examples:

• Son las diez y treinta y nueve. = It’s 10:39.
• Es la una y cincuenta y dos. = It’s 1:52.

The second is to say what number of minutes there are till the subsequent hour, just like how you’ll say menos cuarto to imply it’s 1 / 4 to the subsequent hour. 

• Son las as soon as menos veintiuno. = It’s twenty-one till eleven.
• Son las dos menos ocho. = It’s eight till two.

12-hour clock vs. 24-hour clock

Whereas it’s frequent in English-speaking international locations to make use of a 12-hour clock, many Spanish-speaking international locations use a 24-hour clock (also called navy time). Relying on the nation, they might use:

• each a 12-hour clock and 24-hour clock interchangeably 
• a 24-hour clock when writing and a 12-hour clock when talking
• the 24-hour clock completely

In case you’re saying the time in Spanish whereas utilizing a 12-hour clock, know that Spanish doesn’t have excellent equivalents to a.m. and p.m. As a substitute, you’ll be able to add certainly one of these phrases after the time.

Listed here are a few instance sentences:

• Son las ocho de la noche. = It’s eight o’clock at night time.
• Es la una y treinta de la mañana. = It’s 1:30 within the morning.

Occasions of day in Spanish

Many Spanish audio system will make plans round common durations of the day as an alternative of actual instances. While you’re setting a gathering in Spanish, these instances of day are helpful to know:

• mañana = morning
• tarde = afternoon/night
• noche = night time
• amanecer = daybreak
• mediodía = midday/noon
• anochecer = nightfall
• medianoche = midnight
• madrugada = midnight to daybreak
• hora del desayuno = breakfast time
• hora de almorzar = lunchtime
• hora de cenar = dinnertime
• hora de acostarse = bedtime
• siesta = naptime*

*Siesta sometimes lasts from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., although this will differ relying on the nation and area.

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