Telling Time In Spanish - SpanishDict
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It's easy to decir la hora(to tell time) in Spanish as long as you know your cardinal numbers and ser conjugations.
Telling Time with Ser
There are several useful formulas you can learn to help you tell the time with ser in Spanish.
One O'Clock
You can use these formulas for talking about la una(one o'clock), the only hour used with the third person singular form of ser. The following can all be used to say It's ___ o'clock or It's (hour) (minute).
- es + la + una (+ number of minutes)
- es + la + una (+ y + number of minutes)
- es + la + una (+ con + number of minutes)
| examples |
|---|
| Es la una treinta. It's one thirty. |
| Es la una y veinte. It's one twenty. |
| Es la una con cuarenta. It's one forty. |
This formula can be used to say It's (# of minutes) until/'til (a certain hour).
- es + la + una + menos + number of minutes
| examples |
|---|
| Es la una menos diez. It's ten 'til one. |
From Two to Twelve
Use these formulas for talking about the hours from two to twelve, which are used with the third person plural form of ser. The following can all be used to say It's ___ o'clock or It's (hour) (minute).
- son + las + number from two to twelve (+ number of minutes)
- son + las + number from two to twelve (+ y + number of minutes)
- son + las + number from two to twelve (+ con + number of minutes)
| examples |
|---|
| Son las tres diez. It is three ten. |
| Son las nueve y veintinueve. It is nine twenty-nine. |
| Son las diez con diez. It is ten ten. |
This formula can be used to say It's (# of minutes) until/'til (a certain hour).
- son + las + number from two to twelve + menos + number of minutes
| examples |
|---|
| Son las once menos cinco. It's five to eleven. |
Media y Cuarto
- To indicate that it's half past the hour in Spanish, use the phrase y media.
- To indicate that it's a quarter past the hour, use the phrase y cuarto.
- To indicate that it's a quarter 'til the hour, use the phrase menos cuarto.
| examples |
|---|
| Son las diez y media. It's ten thirty. |
| Es la una y cuarto. It is one fifteen. / It is a quarter after one. |
| Son las cinco menos cuarto. It's a quarter 'til five. |
In Latin America you can also use the phrases cuarto paraor un cuarto parato say a quarter 'til. Note that both the present tense third-person singular (es) and plural (son) of ser are commonly used with this phrase.
For example: