LA HORA/ THE HOUR

CULTURAL NOTES: In some Latin American countries, such as Argentina, the military hour is used to clarify between A.M. and P.M. For instance, Friends will be at 20:00 hours (8 P.M.).

TELLING TIME
Es la una + y or menos + the minutes Son las + hour + y or menos + the minutes
The following are important details to remember when telling time is Spanish: 1. The feminine definite article la is always used before the hour because la refers to la hora/ the hour. NOTE that when the masculine article el is used, it is referring to a number and not the time.

EXAMPLES
Time
2:30 P.M. 3:15 A.M.

Time in Spanish
Son las dos y media de la tarde. Son las tres y cuarto de la maana. Son las tres y quince de la maana. Es el (nmero) dos, el que quiero./ It's the (number) two, which I want.

#2

NOTE: In the above examples that the hour is given first, and then the minutes.

2. The verb es is used with only una/one, and son is used with all the other hours: EXAMPLES
Time
1:05 1:40 1:00

Time in Spanish
Es la una y cinco. Es la una y cuarenta. Es la una.

NOTE: In the above examples that y is equivalent to past or after.

3. Menos or para is the equivalent of until or to. EXAMPLES

Time
9:55 Son las cinco para las diez. 12:35 Es la una menos veinticinco.

Time in Spanish
Son las 10 menos cinco.

4. A + la(s) + time is equivalent to at + time. EXAMPLES

Time
2:00

Time in Spanish
A las dos./ At two o'clock.

1:40

A la una y cuarenta./ At one-forty

5. Por la is equivalent to in + the. It is used when a specific time is not mentioned. EXAMPLES
Salimos por la tarde./ We go out in the afternoon. Te hablo por la maana./ I'll talk to you in the morning.

6. De la is also equivalent to in + the. However, this expression is used to express a specific time. EXAMPLES
Salimos a las tres de la tarde./ We'll go out at three in the afternoon. Te hablo a las ocho de la maana./ I'll talk to you at eight in the morning.

7. Useful words

Spanish
medioda medianoche madrugada , amanecer atardecer media cuarto y pico (informal) noon midnight dawn

English

late afternoon half quarter a little after