La hora (The Time)

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¿Qué hora es? (What time is it?)

When telling time in Spanish, the verb ser (“to be”) plays a key role. Its form changes depending on the hour, adapting to whether it's one o’clock or any other time. "Es" is used for one o’clock (1:00, 1:15, 1:30…).

Example:

• Es la una.

• It’s one o’clock.

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"Son" is used for all other hours (2:00, 3:00, 4:00…).

Example:

• Son las tres.

• It’s three o’clock.

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The most common way to ask for the time is: ¿Qué hora es? (What time is it?)

Note that the word hora (hour) is feminine in Spanish, so la is used for one o’clock and las for all other hours.

Here are other ways of asking for the time based on the context:

• Informal (with friends and family):

• ¿Tienes la hora?

• Do you have the time?

• ¿Sabes qué hora es?

• Do you know what time it is?

• Formal (with strangers or in polite situations):

• ¿Me puede decir la hora, por favor?

• Can you tell me the time, please?

• Disculpe, ¿cuál es la hora?

• Excuse me, do you have the time?

Examples:

• Hola, ¿qué hora es?
• Son las cinco y media.

Translation

• Hi, what time is it?
• It’s five thirty.

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• Profesor, ¿me puede decir la hora?
• Claro, es la una en punto.

Translation

• Professor, can you tell me the time?
• Of course, it's one o’clock sharp.

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• Disculpe, ¿tiene la hora?
• Sí, son las tres menos cuarto.

Translation:

• Excuse me, do you have the time?
• Yes, it’s a quarter to three.

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Agregar minutos (Adding Minutes)

When specifying the minutes, different expressions are used:

"y + minutes" is used for any minute past the hour.

Examples:         

• Son las dos y veinte.

• It’s two twenty.

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• Son las cinco y treinta y ocho.

• It’s five thirty-eight.

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Another way to say it is without "y":

• Son las seis treinta y dos.

• It’s six thirty-two.

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"menos + minutes" is generally used for minutes from 31 to 59, indicating the time remaining to the next hour.

Examples:

• Son las cinco menos diez.

• It’s ten minutes to five.

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• Son las siete menos veinte.

• It’s twenty minutes to seven.

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Other useful expressions ⏰

• En punto (on the dot)

•  Son las ocho en punto.

• It’s eight o’clock sharp.

• Y cuarto (and a quarter)

• Son las tres y cuarto.

• It’s three fifteen.

• Y media (and a half)

• Son las dos y media.

• It’s two thirty.

• Menos cuarto (a quarter to)

• Son las cuatro menos cuarto.

• It’s a quarter to four.

• Es mediodía

• It's noon

• Es medianoche

• It’s midnight

• De la mañana, de la tarde, de la noche (am vs pm)

• Son las tres y veinte de la mañana.
• Son las tres y veinte en la mañana ❌

• En la/ por la  mañana, en la/por la  tarde, en la/por la noche

• (in the morning, in the afternoon, at night)

• La clase es en la mañana
• La clase es por la mañana

Nota cultural: When does the day end? Afternoon and night in Spanish-speaking cultures 🌞🌙

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In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the concept of time, especially when it comes to afternoon (la tarde) and night (la noche), flows differently than in English-speaking countries.

La tarde (afternoon) typically begins around 12:00 PM or 1:00 PM and can stretch as late as 8:00 PM or 9:00 PM, depending on the time of year and local customs. It’s completely natural to hear "buenas tardes" well into the evening. This is due to cultural habits such as siesta breaks 😴 and merienda meals 🍪🥛(a light meal typically enjoyed around 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM) which delay dinner to much later than what is typical in the United States.

Son las… vs. A las…  (It is… vs. at…)

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• Son las is used to tell the time → Son las ocho means “It's eight o’clock.”

• A las is used when referring to a specific time when something will take place: Tengo español a las ocho means “I have Spanish at eight.”

Nota cultural: The 24-hour time format in Spanish-speaking countries

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In many Spanish-speaking countries, the 24-hour time format is commonly used instead of the AM/PM system, eliminating the need to specify "AM" (ante meridiem) or "PM" (post meridiem). Unlike English, where the 12-hour system with AM and PM is standard in most informal settings, many Spanish speakers comfortably switch between both formats depending on the context.

The 24-hour system runs from 00:00 (midnight) to 23:59 (one minute before midnight). Hours 1 to 12 cover the morning, while 13 to 23 correspond to the afternoon and evening:

• 01:00 - 12:00 → Morning (same as AM in the 12-hour system)
• 13:00 - 23:59 → Afternoon and night (same as PM in the 12-hour system)

The time may be displayed in a 24-hour format, but when saying it aloud, typically you use the 12-hour format (in some countries like Argentina, however, the 24-hour format is also used when stating the time aloud on special occasions, such as on the radio or when scheduling a doctor's appointment.)

For example:

• 08:30 → “Son las ocho y media”.  (8:30 AM)
• 14:15 → The clock shows “Catorce quince”, but you say “Son las dos y quince”. (2:15 PM)
• 20:45 → The clock shows “Veinte cuarenta y cinco”, but you say “Son las ocho y cuarenta y cinco”. (8:45 PM)

The 24-hour format is widely used in official contexts, such as:

• Transportation schedules (airports, train and bus timetables.)
• TV programming and event schedules.
• Military and emergency services.
• Formal written communication.

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