Telling Time in Spanish

There are many ways of telling time in Spanish. On notecards, you can draw clocks and practice.

If you dedicate a few days to it, you'll have it down in no time! (No pun intended!)

Asking About The Time

When you want to ask about the time, you ask:

¿Que hora es? - Kay or-ah es (What time is it?)

NOTICE: When telling time, you will always use 'Son las' as the Spanish consider time to be plural and feminine. The verb 'son' comes from the verb 'ser', which is the plural form of the verb 'to be'. The only time you use a singular, feminine time description is when you are talking about anything in the one o'clock hour. It would look like the following:

*Notice the singular verb 'es', which also comes from the verb 'ser' (to be).

*Notice the use of 'y media' to mean 'half-past'.

*Notice the use of 'y cuarto' to say mean 'a quarter after'.

What Time Does It Begin?

When you want to ask at what time something begins or ends, you ask:

¿A que hora .? - Ah kay or-ah (At what time . ? or What time do/does . ?)

A.m or P.m?

To make reference to the morning, afternoon, or night, you use the following:

• 'y tres cuartos' (forty five mintues after).
• de la tarde (in the afternoon)

. menos cinco minutos (five minutes until literally: minus five minutes)
. de la noche (in the evening/at night)

Often times, in Europe, schedules are given on the 24-hour time system. Time would be expressed as such:

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