Ask for the time in Spanish

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:

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

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