Times in Spanish
Understanding how to ask, read, and say the time in Spanish is an essential everyday skill. Whether you’re traveling, making plans, or catching a train, you’ll hear and use time expressions constantly.
This guide explains Spanish clock expressions, minutes, the 12-hour and 24-hour formats, and common vocabulary with clear examples.
How to ask the time in Spanish
Common questions you’ll hear:
- ¿Qué hora es? (What time is it?)
- ¿Qué horas son? (What time is it?)
- ¿Tienes hora? (Do you have the time?) — casual
- ¿Me dice la hora, por favor? (Could you tell me the time, please?) — polite
Typical response:
- Son las tres. — It’s three o’clock.
- Es la una. — It’s one o’clock.
Try Our Times in Spanish Interactive Translate Tool
The basic pattern for telling time
Most Spanish time statements follow this structure:
- Son las + hour (for 2:00–12:59)
- Es la + una (for 1:00–1:59)
Examples
- Son las ocho.
- Son las diez.
- Es la una.
Saying the exact hour
To express full hours, Spanish often adds en punto (exactly/on the dot).
| Time | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1:00 | Es la una (en punto). | It’s one o’clock. |
| 3:00 | Son las tres (en punto). | It’s three o’clock. |
| 7:00 | Son las siete (en punto). | It’s seven o’clock. |
| 12:00 | Son las doce (en punto). | It’s twelve o’clock. |
Minutes past the hour (y)
When minutes come after the hour, Spanish commonly uses y (and).
Pattern: Son/Es + hour + y + minutes
| Time | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| 3:05 | Son las tres y cinco. | five past three |
| 3:10 | Son las tres y diez. | ten past three |
| 3:20 | Son las tres y veinte. | twenty past three |
Example:
- Son las siete y veinte. — It’s 7:20.
Minutes before the hour (menos)
When minutes come before the next hour, Spanish commonly uses menos (minus).
Pattern: Son/Es + next hour + menos + minutes
| Time | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| 5:50 | Son las seis menos diez. | ten to six |
| 8:55 | Son las nueve menos cinco. | five to nine |
| 4:40 | Son las cinco menos veinte. | twenty to five |
Example:
- Son las ocho menos diez. — It’s 7:50.
Tip: In many places you may also hear para instead of menos (e.g., diez para las ocho), but menos is widely understood and very consistent.
Quarter and half hours (cuarto / media)
Spanish commonly uses special expressions for quarter hours and half hours:
| Time | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| 3:15 | Son las tres y cuarto. | quarter past three |
| 3:30 | Son las tres y media. | half past three |
| 3:45 | Son las cuatro menos cuarto. | quarter to four |
Examples:
- Es la una y media. — It’s 1:30.
- Son las diez menos cuarto. — It’s 9:45.
The 12-hour vs 24-hour clock
Spanish uses both systems.
12-hour clock (everyday speech)
Often includes a time-of-day phrase:
- de la mañana (morning)
- de la tarde (afternoon)
- de la noche (evening/night)
Examples:
- Son las ocho de la mañana. — It’s 8:00 a.m.
- Son las ocho de la noche. — It’s 8:00 p.m.
24-hour clock (formal contexts)
Common in:
- train/flight schedules
- TV programming
- official announcements
- many daily contexts in Spain and parts of Latin America
Examples:
- 14:00 → son las catorce (horas).
- 17:30 → son las diecisiete y treinta.
- 21:15 → son las veintiuna y quince.
Note: You may see or hear horas in formal contexts (e.g., Las 17:30 horas).
Writing the time in Spanish
Times are typically written in numeric format:
- 14:30
- 17:45
- 09:05
In some styles (especially in Spain), you may also see:
- 14:30 h
- 17:45 h
Spanish vocabulary related to time
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la hora | time / hour |
| el reloj | clock / watch |
| la hora en punto | on the dot |
| el minuto | minute |
| el segundo | second |
| la cita | appointment |
| temprano | early |
| tarde | late |
| a tiempo | on time |
| ¿A qué hora…? | At what time…? |
Times of day
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la mañana | morning |
| la tarde | afternoon |
| la noche | evening/night |
| el mediodía | noon |
| la medianoche | midnight |
| el amanecer | dawn |
| el atardecer | dusk/sunset |
Example sentences
- ¿A qué hora empieza la clase? — What time does class start?
- El tren sale a las ocho y cuarto. — The train leaves at 8:15.
- Nos vemos a las seis y media. — See you at 6:30.
- La reunión es a las cuatro menos diez. — The meeting is at 3:50.
- Abren a las nueve en punto. — They open at exactly 9:00.
Practice exercises
Try converting these times into Spanish:
| Time | Your answer |
|---|---|
| 4:15 | |
| 6:30 | |
| 7:50 | |
| 9:20 |
Answers:
- 4:15 → Son las cuatro y cuarto
- 6:30 → Son las seis y media
- 7:50 → Son las ocho menos diez
- 9:20 → Son las nueve y veinte
Test Your Knowledge. Take the Spanish Numbers Quiz
Frequently Asked Questions about Spanish Time
How do you ask the time in Spanish?
The most common question is ¿Qué hora es? You can also say ¿Qué horas son? or, casually, ¿Tienes hora?
Why is it “Es la una” but “Son las dos”?
Because una is singular (one hour), and all other hours are treated as plural.
How do you say 7:30 in Spanish?
Son las siete y media.
Do Spanish speakers use the 24-hour clock?
Yes—especially in schedules and formal information, and often in everyday life depending on the country/region.
Continue learning
Times rely heavily on numbers and dates, so you may also want to learn these topics:
Further reference: RAE on spelling of cardinal numerals.