Telling the time: es la una, son las dos y media

What time is it?

Ask ¿Qué hora es? The answer uses the verb ser (Ser: soy, eres, es…) and la or las (the word hora, hour, is feminine and understood):

• Es la una. For one o'clock only: una is singular.
• Son las dos, son las tres… For every other hour: plural.

• Es la una.It's one o'clock.
• Son las ocho y diez.It's ten past eight.

Past and to the hour

Add minutes with y (past the hour) and take them away with menos (to the hour).

• Son las dos y media.It's half past two.
• Son las cuatro y cuarto.It's a quarter past four.
• Son las seis menos cuarto.It's a quarter to six.
• Son las once menos veinte.It's twenty to eleven.

At what time? A las…

To say when something happens, use a la / a las:

• La clase empieza a las nueve en punto.Class starts at nine o'clock sharp.

Morning, afternoon, night

Add de la mañana (in the morning), de la tarde (in the afternoon or early evening), de la noche (at night). Noon is las doce del mediodía.

• Ceno a las diez de la noche.I have dinner at ten at night.
• Son las doce del mediodía.It's twelve noon.

In Spain, la tarde lasts until about eight or nine in the evening, and meals are late: lunch around two or three, dinner around nine or ten.

The 24-hour clock

Timetables, shops, the radio and official times use the 24-hour clock. Read the hour and the minutes as plain numbers, often with horas:

• El tren sale a las diecisiete cuarenta.The train leaves at seventeen forty.
• El museo cierra a las veinte horas.The museum closes at eight pm.

So 21:30 is las veintiuna treinta, and 13:00 is las trece horas.

Latin America

In much of Latin America, a quarter to three is often un cuarto para las tres or quince para las tres. Las tres menos cuarto is understood everywhere.

Common mistakes

• Son la una. → Es la una. One o'clock is singular.
• Es las tres. → Son las tres.
• Las tres y quince is correct (it is the digital style), but in conversation people mostly say las tres y cuarto.
• en las ocho → a las ocho. At a time is a.
• las seis menos cuarto for 6:15 → that is 5:45. Menos takes minutes away from the next hour.