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Telling Time

Telling time in Spanish revolves around expressing the hours, minutes, and sometimes seconds, with a unique structure for both exact times and approximate times. You'll learn the core vocabulary for numbers, hours, and key phrases like "o'clock," "half past," and "quarter to," as well as how to differentiate between morning (AM) and evening (PM).
hora

Hours

Es la una
For 1 o'clock, use Es la una. For all other hours, use Son las + the number of the hour.
TimeSpanish
1:00Es la una
2:00Son las dos
3:00Son las tres
......
12:00Son las doce
  • The hour is expressed in a 12-hour format, not 24-hour.
  • After midnight and noon, hours continue as usual (1 to 11).
Son las tres

Minutes

y, menos
To express minutes after the hour, use "y" + minutes. For minutes before the hour, use "menos" + minutes.
TimeSpanish
2:05Son las dos y cinco
4:15Son las cuatro y cuarto
6:30Son las seis y media
9:45Son las diez menos cuarto
  • "Cuarto" means 15 minutes (quarter), and "media" means 30 minutes (half).
  • For 45 minutes, it's often easier to say the next hour minus 15 minutes.
Son las cuatro y cuarto
Son las seis menos cuarto

AM and PM

  • For morning hours (AM), add "de la mañana."
  • For afternoon (PM), use "de la tarde" (usually until about 7 PM).
  • For evening (later PM), use "de la noche."
TimeSpanish
7:00 AMSon las siete de la mañana
1:00 PMEs la una de la tarde
9:00 PMSon las nueve de la noche
Son las ocho de la noche

Conclusion

Mastering how to tell time in Spanish involves understanding the unique way hours and minutes are expressed, along with the correct usage of AM/PM phrases. This skill will enable you to navigate daily schedules, appointments, and conversations with confidence.
  • Use Es la una for 1 o'clock and Son las... for other hours.
  • Attach y for minutes after the hour, and menos for minutes before.
  • Specify time of day with de la mañana, de la tarde, or de la noche.
Son las tres y diez de la tarde
y media