Time in Spanish

Saying or asking for the time in Spanish is one of the first basic lessons when you are learning the language. Whether it is because you are late for an interview or a movie; you are stopped on the street and asked the time or even you have an appointment and you are late!

Learning the time in Spanish, both digital and analog, is essential to further develop your knowledge of the language. Because mastering Spanish is not only about learning grammar and vocabulary, but also small details such as the time in Spanish or Spanish slang.
You can read this article in Spanish, French, Italian or Dutch.

How to tell the time in Spanish?

The most common question you will hear if you learn Spanish in Spain or Latin America is: “¿Qué hora es?” (What time is it?) This is the most direct way to ask for the time in Spanish, regardless of whether you know your interlocutor.
Also, depending on the context, you may hear several ways of asking for the time in Spanish. Here are some examples:

• Perdona, ¿qué hora es? (Excuse me, what time is it?)
• Oye, ¿qué hora tenemos? (Hey, what time do we have?)
• ¿Tienes hora? (Do you know what time it is?)
• ¿Me puedes decir qué hora es?
• Disculpa, ¿me puedes decir la hora?

Once you have understood the bulk of the question, you need to know how to answer. In Spanish, you can distinguish the time in digital or analog, as in all other languages. So, let's see how to differentiate and tell the different times in Spanish.

The hours in Spanish

The simplest way to tell the time in Spanish is when you want to tell an exact time. It's as simple as saying the time followed by “en punto”, or you can simplify it and just say the time. For example:

• 05:00 h: Las cinco en punto (Five o'clock)
• 09:00h: Las nueve ()
• 13:00 h: La una en punto (One o'clock)
• 18:00 h: Las seis (Six o'clock)

It should be noted that, in the case that the clock strikes 13:00h or 01:00 h, the article “la” is used, while for the rest of the hours “las” is used. This is because “una” (one) is singular and the rest of the hours are plural in Spanish.

Hours with minutes

When you need to tell an hour with minutes, simply mention the hour and then the minutes. But keep in mind that, if the minutes are less than 30, you simply add the conjunction “y” (and) followed by the minutes. Whereas, if the minutes are more than 30, you can say “menos” and the time remaining until the next hour.
Here are some examples:

• 08:15h: Las ocho y cuarto (Quarter past eight)
• 11:25h: Las once y veinticinco (Twenty-five minutes past eleven)
• 14:30h: Las dos y media (Half past two)
• 15:50h: Son las cuatro menos diez (Ten to four o'clock)
• 20:45h: Las nueve menos cuarto (Quarter to nine)
• 22:10h: Las diez y diez (Ten past ten)

Difference between digital and analog format

The digital format is the most used nowadays to see the time since everyone has a mobile phone or a watch with a screen. This time format in Spanish is read as it is written:

• 07:12h: Las siete y doce (Seven twelve o’clock)
• 12:47h: Las doce cuarenta y siete (Twelve fourty-seven)
• 13:30h: Las trece treinta or La una y media de la tarde (Thirteen thirty o'clock)
• 16:45h: Las dieciséis cuarenta y cinco (Sixteen forty-five o'clock)

On the other hand, the analog format is the traditional clock with hands, and, in this case, the time is told in the manner explained above. Examples:

• 04:30h: Las cuatro y media ()
• 06:15h: Las seis y cuarto (Quarter past six)
• 10:55h: Las once menos cinco ()
• 19:35h: Las ocho menos veinticinco ()

It should be noted that, in Spanish, the AM and PM format is not used as in English. So, to differentiate the hours in Spanish, we say “de la mañana”, “de la tarde” or “de la noche”. Also, for 12:00h, you can say “es mediodía” or “es medianoche”. Here are some examples:

• 09:00h: Son las nueve de la mañana (It is nine o'clock in the morning)
• 20:00h: Son las ocho de la tarde (It is eight o'clock in the evening)
• 12:00h: Son las doce del mediodía ()
• 00:00h: Son las doce de la noche ()
• 18:00h: Las seis de la tarde ()
• 05:00h: Las cinco de la mañana ()
• 14:00h: Las dos de la tarde (Two o'clock in the afternoon)

Below, you will find some phrases where the hours are used in Spanish so that you can see various contexts:

1. La reunión empieza a las diez en punto (10:00 am) - The meeting starts at ten o'clock.
2. Llegué al aeropuerto a las cinco y media de la mañana (5:30 am) - I arrived at the airport at half past five in the morning.
3. El tren sale a las cuatro menos diez de la tarde (3:50 pm) - The train leaves at ten to four o'clock in the afternoon.
4. Nos vemos a las siete de la tarde en las taquillas del cine (7:00 pm) - Meet me at 7:00 p.m. at the cinema box office.
5. La obra de teatro empieza a las ocho y cuarto (8:15 pm) - The play starts at a quarter to eight.
6. Tengo una reserva para comer a las dos y media de la tarde (2:30pm) - I have a lunch reservation at 2:30 pm.
7. Mi vecino se despierta a las seis de la mañana para pasear a su perro (6:00 am) - My neighbor wakes up at six o'clock in the morning to walk his dog.

As in any language, learning to tell time in Spanish is a matter of practice. Remember that it is important to learn the basic ways to tell the hours in minutes or to differentiate between digital and analog format, since both are still used to tell the time in Spanish. With a little practice, you will master it quickly. Good luck!