What's the time? - ask and reply
In Spanish, always ask for the time in singular:
¿Qué hora es? (What's the time?)
Always answer in plural:
E.g. Son las dos. (It's two o'clock.)
Exceptions:
- if it's one o'clock → Es la una.
- if we say it's noon → Es mediodía.
- if we say it's midnight → Es medianoche.
At what hour? - ask and reply
If you inquire about when an event takes place:
¿A qué hora empieza? (At what hour does it start?)
¿A qué hora vas a levantar? (At what hour will you get up?)
The answer to such a question begins with: A la/las...
For example:
A la una. (At one.)
A las cinco. (At five.)
The time now?
When you want to tell the time:
1.00 / 13.00 | |
Es la una. / Es la una en punto. | It's one (o'clock). / It's exactly one. |
1.05 / 13.05 | |
Es la una y cinco. | Five past one. |
2.10 / 14.10 | |
Son las dos y diez. | Ten past two. |
3.15 / 15.15 | |
Son las tres y cuarto. | A quarter past three. (3 and a quarter) |
4.20 / 16.20 | |
Son las cuatro y veinte. | Four twenty. |
5.25 / 17.25 | |
Son las cinco y veinticinco. | Five twenty-five. |
6.30 / 18.30 | |
Son las seis y media. | Half past six. (6 and a half) |
7.35 / 19.35 | |
Son las ocho menos veinticinco. | Twenty-five to eight. |
8.40 / 20.40 | |
Son las nueve menos veinte. | Twenty to nine. |
9.45 / 21.45 | |
Son las diez menos cuarto. | A quarter to ten. (10 minus a quarter) |
10.50 / 22.50 | |
Son las once menos diez. | Ten to eleven. |
11.55 / 23.55 | |
Son las doce menos cinco. | Five to twelve. |
12.00 / 24.00 | |
Son las doce./Son las doce en punto. | It's twelve. / It's exactly twelve. |
Es mediodía. / Es medianoche. | It's noon / It's midnight |
In Spanish, time is expressed from the next hour backwards after passing the thirty-minute mark, only not by indicating time till the hour (= to) as in English but by detracting from the hour (= menos).
Time referred to using time of day
When you refer to time as within a certain time of day, you will use the word de to indicate the possessive:
Las tres de la mañana. (3.00) | Three in the morning / Three AM. (Literally: Three of the morning) |
Las cinco de la tarde. (17.00) | Five in the afternoon. / Five PM (Five of the afternoon) |
Las diez y media de la noche. (22.30) | Half past ten in the evening. / Ten thirty PM (Ten and half of the evening) |
If the reply does not include an exact time, just a time of day, you will use the word por to indicate an adverbial form:
Por la mañana. | In the morning. |
Por la tarde. | In the afternoon. |
Por la noche. | In the evening / At night. |
Related content on the site:
→ What's the time? - 10-question test
→ Asking and telling the time in Spanish - listen to the pronunciation as well
→ Time in the "Audio and transcripts" menu