How to Tell the Time in Spanish: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide | FluentU Blog in Spanish (2023)

Vonrose helps Last update:November 13, 2022

"What time is it?"

This must be one of the most frequently asked questions in the world.

But although it is a very useful skill andexcellent numbers practice, learning the time in Spanish is sometimes ignored by self-taught and classes.

In this post, we are going to teach you a series ofphrases and vocabulary related to timeso you can communicate effectively when you arearrive late(delay) oron my way(on my way).

Knowing how to tell time is one of those skills that you'll use so often that eventually you won't even realize you're doing it.

So let's start!

Content

• Spanish timekeeping basics
• Half an hour and a quarter of an hour/stop in Spanish
• Add minutes in Spanish time
• Using Less and Para in Spanish Times
• Spanish vocabulary for tenses
• Time Telegram Test
• How to practice counting time in Spanish

Download:This blog post is available as a convenient, portable PDF that you can take anywhere.Click here for a copy. (Download)

Spanish timekeeping basics

There are some simple rules that all Spanish timekeepers should know, but the most important ones first!

To ask what time it is, just say„What time is it?"This is definitely the most common way to ask what time it is.

However, you will also hear:

What time is it?(What time is it?)

You have time?(Do you have time?)

So, to tell someone what time it is, you need to follow this formula:

and they are+the... the+ [hour].

So if it's timeyou could say:

It is one o'clock.(It is one o'clock.)

It's two o'clock.(It's two o'clock.)

It's three o'clock(It's three o'clock.)

It's four o'clock.(It is four o'clock.)

And if necessaryCheck your numbers, you can do it here.

Now let's take a look at the components of this formula:

• To useto be,noPerhaps.Although it may be counterintuitive, we always doUse the serto to show the time, not be. Apparently, time is a constant quantity and therefore doesn't want to be described.Perhaps, which indicates provisional.
• Singular versus Plural.In fact, we only useANDfor an hour and all hours between 1:00 and 1:59: This is because an hour is singular. To useSohnfor two hours and beyond.
• The time is feminine.That's why we say: "SohnTo diesix' (It's six o'clock), for example. Since time is feminine, you should always useTo dieETo dieTime to describe, neverANDorTo die.

Half an hour and a quarter of an hour/stop in Spanish

Now that you have the basics of how to tell the time when the clock strikes five o'clock(It's five o'clock), Seven(there are seven)e our(It's eleven oclock), you can go to what happens when it's half past a quarter to an hour.

Say it's like thisroomythe time, use this formula:

and they are+ [on time]+one and a half / thirty

It's half past two.(It is 2:30 am.)

Note that this is not the caseand MidlefromHourit's feminine.

Say it's like thisand a quarternow, use isto:

and they are+ [on time]+and a room /sai.

It is a quarter past eight.(It is 8:15.)

Observe thatRoomGenericNameends inÖbecause it means "quarter" and the word is masculine.

Once you pass the 30 minute mark, you must usenot lessorforand refer to the approaching hour, just as in the usage"Quarmestre a"In English:

and they are + [the hour approaches] + quarter to.

It's a quarter to five.(It's a quarter to five.)

and they are+room + also+ [the hour approaches].

It's a quarter to five.(It's a quarter to five.)

Add minutes in Spanish time

To say any time between hour and a half, this formula is the most common:

and they are+ [on time] +[Number of minutes past the hour].

It's ten past two.(It is 2:10 am.)

You can also indicate time with different prepositions in the following formulas, but they are a little less common:

and they are+ [on time] +E+ [number of minutes past the hour].

It's ten past two.(It is 2:10 am.)

and they are+ [on time] +com+ [number of minutes past the hour].

It's ten past two.(It is 2:10 am.)

Other numbers you may need are:

cinco(cinco)

dez(O)

sai(fifteen)

twenty(twenty)

twenty-five(twenty-five)

thirty(thirty)

Thirty-five(Thirty-five)

forty(Forty)

forty-five(Forty-five)

fifty(fifty)

fifty-five(fifty-five)

Of course you also needonce(eleven) and all other numbers from 1 to 60, but the times are usually not that accurate.

you don't need to usenot lessif you use the digital clock, but you should still read the next section. You cannot predict whether the person you ask for the time will respond with digital or analog time. Unless you're some kind of time traveler, in which case we're assuming you've found time.

To useNot lessEForin spanish time

In English, when you reach the second half hour on an analog clock, you can start counting how much time is left to the next hour.

It's pretty prescient when you think about it.

Spanish is almost synonymous with English in this regard. We've already seen an example of this.minus quarter/quarter for.

Here is the formula for specifying the time usingnot less:

and they are + [the hour approaches] + not less +[minutes to hour].

It's twenty to five.(It is twenty to five.)

It's ten to eight.(It is ten to eight.)

The formula to useforis similar, but we convert the next hour and minutes to the hour:

and they are+ [minutes to hour]+ to+ [the hour approaches].

It's twenty to five.(It is twenty to five.)

It's ten to eight.(It is ten to eight.)

Spanish vocabulary for tenses

Time Telegram Test

Write these times in Spanish:

1. 1:05

2. 3:55

3. 11:15

4. 9:30

5. 9:00

6. 5:45

7. 6:50

Solution key:

1.It's a five.

2.It's three fifty-five. / Are the four at least five. / It's five to four.

3.It's a quarter past eleven.

4.It's half past eight.

5.It's nine o'clock.

6.It's five forty-five. / It's a quarter to six. / It's a quarter to six.

7.It's six fifty. / It's ten to seven. / It's ten to seven.

How to practice counting time in Spanish

• Use online games.You can test yourself withthis online game-or withThis oneorThis one, which are different level timing games with leaderboards to test your newly learned skills.

• Ask your Spanish-speaking friends to test it out.To practice beforehand, try listening to Spanish podcasts or watching some Spanish videos. The language learning programfluenteUactually has authentic media clips covering everythingsoap operas(soap operas) to news programs – with interactive subtitles that show how native speakers (among other things) communicate time naturally.
• Integrate time tracking into your everyday life. Every time you look at your watch, phone or tablet in your normal English-speaking life, you can say the time out loud in Spanish.

  You can even set up a notification on your phone to remind you, for example. B. with the question "¿What time is it?” until you get into the habit of doing it regularly. A low-tech version of this would be sticking a sticky note next to your alarm clock.

• If someone asks what time it is, say it in both languages.Warning: this might be best with close friends, as strangers on the bus might not appreciate your bilingual timing skills!