Time words in Spanish, including vocabulary for days, months, telling time, and common expressions, plus example sentences.

Time words are essential for talking about schedules, telling stories, and managing daily life. In Spanish, time vocabulary covers everything from days and months to telling time and using common time-related expressions. This guide will help you build a solid foundation for talking about time naturally in Spanish.

Days of the Week

Spanish days of the week are used just like in English to talk about plans, routines, and schedules. Note that days are not capitalized in Spanish unless they start a sentence.

Spanish Singular	Spanish Plural	English Singular	English Plural	Spanish Example	English Example
lunes	lunes	Monday	Mondays	Tengo clase el lunes.	I have class on Monday.
martes	martes	Tuesday	Tuesdays	Vamos al cine el martes.	We’re going to the movies on Tuesday.
miércoles	miércoles	Wednesday	Wednesdays	Trabajo el miércoles.	I work on Wednesday.
jueves	jueves	Thursday	Thursdays	La reunión es el jueves.	The meeting is on Thursday.
viernes	viernes	Friday	Fridays	Salgo con amigos el viernes.	I go out with friends on Friday.
sábado	sábados	Saturday	Saturdays	El sábado hay una fiesta.	There’s a party on Saturday.
domingo	domingos	Sunday	Sundays	Descanso el domingo.	I rest on Sunday.

Months of the Year

Spanish months are similar to English but are always written in lowercase. Use them to talk about birthdays, holidays, and special events.

Spanish Singular	Spanish Plural	English Singular	English Plural	Spanish Example	English Example
enero	eneros	January	Januarys	Mi cumpleaños es en enero.	My birthday is in January.
febrero	febreros	February	Februarys	En febrero hace frío.	It’s cold in February.
marzo	marzos	March	Marches	Viajamos en marzo.	We travel in March.
abril	abriles	April	Aprils	La primavera empieza en abril.	Spring starts in April.
mayo	mayos	May	Mays	Trabajo mucho en mayo.	I work a lot in May.
junio	junios	June	Junes	Junio es un mes largo.	June is a long month.
julio	julios	July	Julies	Vamos a la playa en julio.	We go to the beach in July.
agosto	agostos	August	Augusts	Agosto es muy caluroso.	August is very hot.
septiembre	septiembres	September	Septembers	Regreso a clases en septiembre.	I return to school in September.
octubre	octubres	October	Octobers	En octubre hay Halloween.	There’s Halloween in October.
noviembre	noviembres	November	Novembers	Noviembre tiene días cortos.	November has short days.
diciembre	diciembres	December	Decembers	Navidad es en diciembre.	Christmas is in December.

Telling Time

Telling time in Spanish can be straightforward once you know the key phrases for hours, minutes, and common expressions like "quarter past" and "half past."

Spanish Singular	Spanish Plural	English Singular	English Plural	Spanish Example	English Example
hora	horas	hour	hours	¿Qué hora es?	What time is it?
minuto	minutos	minute	minutes	Faltan cinco minutos.	There are five minutes left.
segundo	segundos	second	seconds	Espera un segundo.	Wait a second.
en punto	—	o’clock	—	Son las tres en punto.	It’s three o’clock.
y cuarto	—	quarter past	—	Son las dos y cuarto.	It’s quarter past two.
y media	—	half past	—	Son las siete y media.	It’s half past seven.
menos cuarto	—	quarter to	—	Son las ocho menos cuarto.	It’s quarter to eight.
de la mañana	—	in the morning	—	Estudio de la mañana.	I study in the morning.
de la tarde	—	in the afternoon	—	Trabajo de la tarde.	I work in the afternoon.
de la noche	—	at night	—	Salgo de la noche.	I go out at night.

___ y cuarto.

How do you say 'It’s quarter past two' in Spanish?

Son las tres

Son las dos

Es la una

Son las cuatro

Son las dos

'Son las dos y cuarto' means 'It’s quarter past two.' 'Y cuarto' means 'and a quarter.'

What does 'Son las tres en punto' mean in English?

It’s three thirty.

It’s three o’clock.

It’s quarter past three.

It’s two o’clock.

It’s three o’clock.

'Son las tres en punto' means 'It’s three o’clock.' The phrase 'en punto' means 'on the dot' or 'o’clock.'

Common Time Expressions

These expressions help you talk about frequency, duration, and when things happen. They’re useful for everyday conversations and making plans.

Spanish Singular	Spanish Plural	English Singular	English Plural	Spanish Example	English Example
ahora	—	now	—	Ahora estoy ocupado.	I’m busy now.
luego	—	later	—	Te llamo luego.	I’ll call you later.
antes	—	before	—	Tengo que salir antes.	I have to leave before.
después	—	after	—	Vamos a cenar después.	We’re going to have dinner after.
siempre	—	always	—	Siempre llego temprano.	I always arrive early.
nunca	—	never	—	Nunca estudio de noche.	I never study at night.
a veces	—	sometimes	—	A veces voy al gym.	Sometimes I go to the gym.
temprano	—	early	—	Me despierto temprano.	I wake up early.
tarde	—	late	—	Llegué tarde hoy.	I arrived late today.
tarde o temprano	—	sooner or later	—	Tarde o temprano, terminarás.	Sooner or later, you’ll finish.

Time vocabulary is a key part of mastering Spanish, and these categories cover the most important words and phrases you’ll need. Keep practicing, and you’ll be able to talk about anything related to time with confidence!

Flashcards (1 of 39)

English Singular: Monday
English Plural: Mondays
English Example: I have class on Monday.

Next Up: Days, Months

Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025

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