Basic Concepts
Telling time in Spanish involves understanding how to express hours, minutes, and parts of the day. The 12-hour clock is commonly used in everyday speech, supplemented by terms like de la mañana (in the morning), de la tarde (in the afternoon), and de la noche (at night). The phrase ¿Qué hora es? means "What time is it?" and is the standard question to ask for the time.
Hours and Minutes
To say the hour, use Es la for 1 o'clock and Son las for all other hours, followed by the hour number. Minutes are added by saying y (and) plus the number of minutes. For example, Son las tres y quince means "It is 3:15." For minutes between 31 and 59, you can use menos (minus) with the next hour to simplify, such as Son las cuatro menos veinte (It is 3:40).
Special Time Expressions
Certain expressions are commonly used for sharp times: en punto means "on the dot" or exactly, like Son las dos en punto (It is exactly 2:00). For half past the hour, use y media (and a half), for example, Son las cinco y media (It is 5:30). Quarter past and quarter to the hour are said as y cuarto and menos cuarto, respectively.
Using 24-Hour Time
In formal contexts like schedules and timetables, the 24-hour clock (military time) is often used in Spanish-speaking countries. For example, 14:00 is read as catorce horas. This format eliminates ambiguity and is common in transportation and official documents.
Common Questions and Responses
When asking the time using ¿Qué hora es?, replies can be succinct or full sentences, such as Es la una or Son las seis y cinco. To be polite, add por favor to your question, making it ¿Qué hora es, por favor?. Other useful phrases include ¿A qué hora...? when asking at what time an event happens.
