Time words in Spanish are used to talk about telling time, days and dates, and how long things last or how often they happen. They include numbers, special words like "hora" (hour) and "minuto" (minute), and phrases for morning, afternoon, and night. These words help you organize your day, make plans, and understand when events happen.
Telling Time
Telling time in Spanish involves numbers from 1 to 60, as well as special words like hora (hour), minuto (minute), y (and), and menos (minus). You also use de la mañana (in the morning), de la tarde (in the afternoon), and de la noche (at night) to specify the time of day.
Basic Time Vocabulary
These are the building blocks for telling time in Spanish.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| la hora | las horas | the hour | the hours |
| el minuto | los minutos | the minute | the minutes |
| el segundo | los segundos | the second | the seconds |
| el reloj | los relojes | the clock/watch | the clocks/watches |
Numbers Used in Time-Telling
Numbers from 1 to 30 are most commonly used when telling time.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| uno | one |
| dos | two |
| tres | three |
| cuatro | four |
| cinco | five |
| diez | ten |
| quince | fifteen |
| veinte | twenty |
| treinta | thirty |
Common Phrases for Time-Telling
These phrases help you put the numbers and time words together.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Qué hora es? | What time is it? |
| Es la una. | It’s one o’clock. |
| Son las dos. | It’s two o’clock. |
| y cuarto | quarter past |
| y media | half past |
| menos cuarto | quarter to |
| en punto | on the dot |
| de la mañana | in the morning |
| de la tarde | in the afternoon |
| de la noche | at night |
Days and Dates
Time words for days and dates in Spanish include the days of the week, months of the year, and numbers for dates. These words help you talk about schedules, birthdays, and appointments.
Days of the Week
Days of the week are always lowercase in Spanish.
| Spanish Singular | English Singular |
|---|---|
| el lunes | Monday |
| el martes | Tuesday |
| el miércoles | Wednesday |
| el jueves | Thursday |
| el viernes | Friday |
| el sábado | Saturday |
| el domingo | Sunday |
Which Spanish day of the week comes right after 'el jueves'?
el viernes
'El viernes' comes after 'el jueves' in the Spanish week. The order is miércoles (Wednesday), jueves (Thursday), viernes (Friday).
Months of the Year
Months are also lowercase and are the same in singular and plural forms (usually singular when talking about a specific date).
| Spanish Singular | English Singular |
|---|---|
| enero | January |
| febrero | February |
| marzo | March |
| abril | April |
| mayo | May |
| junio | June |
| julio | July |
| agosto | August |
| septiembre | September |
| octubre | October |
| noviembre | November |
| diciembre | December |
Common Date Vocabulary
These words help you build full dates and talk about time more precisely.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el día | the day |
| la semana | the week |
| el mes | the month |
| el año | the year |
| hoy | today |
| ayer | yesterday |
| mañana | tomorrow |
| anteayer | the day before yesterday |
| pasado mañana | the day after tomorrow |
| fecha | date |
Duration and Frequency
Duration words tell you how long something lasts, and frequency words tell you how often something happens.
Duration Vocabulary
These words express how long something takes.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| el minuto | los minutos | the minute | the minutes |
| la hora | las horas | the hour | the hours |
| el segundo | los segundos | the second | the seconds |
| el día | los días | the day | the days |
| la semana | las semanas | the week | the weeks |
| el mes | los meses | the month | the months |
| el año | los años | the year | the years |
What is the Spanish singular word for 'week'?
la semana
'La semana' means 'week' in Spanish. 'El mes' is 'month', 'el día' is 'day', and 'el año' is 'year'.
Frequency Adverbs
Frequency adverbs are used to say how often something happens.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| siempre | always |
| casi siempre | almost always |
| a menudo | often |
| frecuentemente | frequently |
| algunas veces | sometimes |
| de vez en cuando | from time to time |
| rara vez | rarely |
| casi nunca | almost never |
| nunca | never |
What does 'siempre' mean?
always
'Siempre' means 'always'. It indicates that something happens all the time.
Common Phrases for Duration and Frequency
These phrases help you talk about habits and durations.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| todo el día | all day |
| toda la semana | all week |
| por la mañana | in the morning |
| por la tarde | in the afternoon |
| por la noche | at night |
| durante | during/for |
| hace dos días | two days ago |
| dentro de una hora | in an hour |
Putting It All Together
Here are some example sentences that combine the time vocabulary you’ve learned.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Qué hora es? | What time is it? |
| Son las tres y cuarto de la tarde. | It’s 3:15 in the afternoon. |
| Tengo una cita el martes a las diez. | I have an appointment on Tuesday at ten. |
| Trabajo ocho horas al día. | I work eight hours a day. |
| Siempre desayuno a las siete de la mañana. | I always have breakfast at seven in the morning. |
Time words in Spanish cover telling time, talking about days and dates, and expressing how long or how often things happen. With these words, you can organize your schedule and talk about time more naturally.
Flashcards (1 of 81)
- English Singular: the hour
- English Plural: the hours
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
