Time to learn about... time! In this lesson, you'll master telling the time in Spanish and talking about when things happen during the day. Knowing how to ask and say the time is essential for making plans, catching buses, and being on time. Let's get started!
Learning tips
- Remember: 'Es la una' (1:00) uses 'es' (singular), but all other hours use 'son' (plural): 'Son las dos.'
- Think of 'y media' as 'and half' and 'y cuarto' as 'and quarter' — just like in English.
- Practice by looking at clocks throughout your day and saying the time in Spanish.
- 'A las' is used for scheduled times — 'Tengo clase a las tres' (I have class at three).
Warm-up & Active Recall
Recap: In lesson 3.1 you learned regular -ar verb conjugation: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -an. These endings let you conjugate hundreds of verbs!
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| levantarse | to get up |
| desayunar | to have breakfast |
| la mañana | the morning |
| temprano | early |
| tarde | late |
| hablar | to speak |
| caminar | to walk |
| tomar | to take/drink |
| el café | the coffee |
| siempre | always |
Dialog
Valentina and Andrés coordinate their schedules. Notice the key difference: 'Es la una' (It's one o'clock) uses singular 'es' because there's only one hour, while 'Son las dos' (It's two) uses plural 'son'. 'Y media' means 'and half' (half past), 'y cuarto' means 'and quarter' (quarter past). To say 'at' a certain time, use 'a la una' or 'a las dos/tres/etc.'
Valentina
¡Hola, Andrés! ¿Qué hora es?
(Hello, Andrés! What hour is?)
Hi, Andrés! What time is it?
Andrés
Es la una de la tarde.
(Is the one of the afternoon.)
It's one o'clock in the afternoon.
Valentina
¿La una? Tengo una clase a las dos y media.
(The one? I-have a class at the two and half.)
One o'clock? I have a class at two thirty.
Andrés
Yo tengo una reunión a las tres y cuarto de la tarde.
(I have a meeting at the three and quarter of the afternoon.)
I have a meeting at three fifteen in the afternoon.
Valentina
¿Y a qué hora desayunas? ¿De la mañana temprano?
(And at what hour you-breakfast? Of the morning early?)
And what time do you have breakfast? In the early morning?
Andrés
Desayuno a las siete de la mañana. ¿Y tú?
(I-breakfast at the seven of the morning. And you?)
I have breakfast at seven in the morning. And you?
Valentina
Yo desayuno a las ocho. De la noche, descanso.
(I breakfast at the eight. Of the night, I-rest.)
I have breakfast at eight. At night, I rest.
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| la hora | /la ˈo.ɾa/ | the hour, the time | Used in the question '¿Qué hora es?' |
| ¿qué hora es? | /ˈke ˈo.ɾa ˈes/ | what time is it? | The standard way to ask the time |
| la una | /la ˈu.na/ | one o'clock | Uses singular 'es' — 'Es la una' |
| las dos | /las ˈðos/ | two o'clock | Uses plural 'son' — 'Son las dos' |
| media | /ˈme.ðja/ | half (past) | Used for :30 — 'las dos y media' = 2:30 |
| cuarto | /ˈkwaɾ.to/ | quarter (past) | Used for :15 — 'las tres y cuarto' = 3:15 |
| de la mañana | /de la maˈɲa.na/ | in the morning, AM | Used after the time to specify morning hours |
| de la tarde | /de la ˈtaɾ.ðe/ | in the afternoon, PM | Used after the time for afternoon hours (roughly 12-6 PM) |
| de la noche | /de la ˈno.tʃe/ | in the evening/at night, PM | Used after the time for evening hours (after ~6 PM) |
| a las | /a las/ | at (a time) | Used before the time for scheduled events — 'a las tres' = at three |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| en punto | /en ˈpun.to/ | on the dot, sharp | 'A las tres en punto' = at three sharp |
| el mediodía | /el me.ðjoˈði.a/ | noon, midday | 'Es el mediodía' = It's noon |
| la medianoche | /la me.ðjaˈno.tʃe/ | midnight | 'Es la medianoche' = It's midnight |
| puntual | /punˈtwal/ | punctual, on time | Adjective describing a person who is always on time |
| tempranito | /tem.pɾaˈni.to/ | nice and early | Diminutive of 'temprano' — very common in Colombian Spanish |
| ya | /ˈʝa/ | already, now | Very common word — 'Ya es tarde' = It's already late |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| y media | half past, and a half |
| y cuarto | quarter past, and a quarter |
Pronunciation: The Spanish 'h' is always silent. In 'hora', you pronounce it 'O-ra', not 'HO-ra'. This is different from English where 'h' is usually pronounced. Remember: Spanish 'h' = silent. Practice: la hora = la O-ra.
Grammar: Telling time in Spanish
| Time | Spanish |
|---|---|
| 1:00 | Es la una |
| 2:00 | Son las dos |
| 2:15 | Son las dos y cuarto |
| 2:30 | Son las dos y media |
| 2:45 | Son las tres menos cuarto |
| 12:00 PM | Es el mediodía |
| 12:00 AM | Es la medianoche |
| at 3:00 | a las tres |
Telling time in Spanish has two key rules:
Rule 1: Es vs. Son
- 'Es la una' (It's one o'clock) — singular because there's one hour
- 'Son las dos/tres/cuatro...' (It's two/three/four...) — plural for all other hours
Rule 2: Adding minutes
- ':15' → 'y cuarto' (and quarter): Son las dos y cuarto = 2:15
- ':30' → 'y media' (and half): Son las tres y media = 3:30
- ':45' → 'menos cuarto' (minus quarter): Son las cuatro menos cuarto = 3:45
Rule 3: Time of day
- 'de la mañana' = AM (morning)
- 'de la tarde' = PM (afternoon, ~12-6)
- 'de la noche' = PM (evening/night, after ~6)
Rule 4: 'At' a time
- Use 'a la una' or 'a las + hour': 'Tengo clase a las tres' (I have class at three)
Spanish uses a 12-hour system in conversation, unlike the 24-hour system used in some countries.
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the missing word.
- ¿ hora es? — Es la una.(question word for 'what')
- Son las tres y .(half past)
- Tengo clase las dos.(preposition 'at' before a time)
- Son las ocho de la .(time of day: evening)
- Es la una y .(quarter past)
Grammar Application
Write the time in Spanish for each given time.
- 1:00 PM → (remember: 'es la una' for 1:00)
- 3:30 PM → (use 'son las' + 'y media')
- 7:15 AM → (use 'son las' + 'y cuarto' + 'de la mañana')
- 9:00 PM → (use 'son las' + 'de la noche')
- 12:00 PM → (special word for noon)
Translation (English → Spanish)
Translate each sentence into Spanish.
- What time is it?
- It's two thirty in the afternoon.
- I have class at three.
- It's one o'clock in the morning.
- I have breakfast at seven fifteen.
Creative Construction
Create sentences about your daily schedule, including specific times. Use 'a las' for scheduled activities.
Takeaway
To tell time: 'Es la una' (1:00) but 'Son las dos/tres/...' for all other hours. Add 'y media' for :30, 'y cuarto' for :15. Use 'a las' to say 'at' a specific time.
Culture note: In Colombia, time is viewed more flexibly than in some cultures. If someone says 'Nos vemos a las tres' (See you at three), arriving at 3:15 or 3:20 is generally acceptable in social situations. This relaxed approach to time is sometimes called 'hora colombiana.' However, in business and formal settings, punctuality is expected. If you want someone to be on time, you might say 'a las tres en punto' (at three sharp) or 'a las tres, ¡puntual!' (at three, be punctual!).
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