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October 27, 2021 by Faustina Mulnik Spanish Grammar 0 comments

How To Tell Time in Spanish: Hours on the Clock and More

Master the clock with the ultimate guide to telling time in Spanish!

This guide is perfect for learning how to tell the time in Spanish for beginners. I break downtime words, phrases, and vocabulary into palatable bite-sized pieces. I also provide lots of detailed explanations and conversation examples so that you talk about time like a native speaker. By the end of this post, you’ll even be able to name the parts of the clock in Spanish! 

Are you ready? It’s time to get started!

How To Say Time in Spanish

It’s important to go over the basics and start out with the word “time”. There is no single way to say “time” in Spanish! Here are some of the most common words for “time” in Spanish that you might come across. 

1. Past, Present, Future (El tiempo)

Anytime you want to reference time in general el tiempo is the best word to use. This word talks about time itself: the past, present, and future.

La nave espacial podría viajar en el tiempo.
The spaceship could travel through time.

2. The Hour (La hora)

La hora gets a little bit more specific. This is a way to talk about a certain hour of time. It’s most often used to ask “what time is it?”

¿Qué hora es?
What time is it?

3. The Occasion (La vez)

La vez talks about a certain occasion of time. For example, “the first time” and “the last time” are both used with la vez in Spanish.

Es la primera vez que voy a España.
This is the first time I’ve been to Spain.

how to tell the time in Spanish

4. The Moment (El momento)

El momento is used just like the English “moment”. It talks about a shorter period of time and gets even more specific. 

En este momento, el estudiante debe llegar para el examen.
At this time, the student should arrive for the exam.

5. Era (La época)

An era of time is a period of time in history that is identified by cultural or historical factors. This period of time is much longer than the others and can last for centuries. 

La época romana duró varios siglos.
The Roman era lasted several centuries.

6. Period (El tiempo)

All other periods of time are translated as el tiempo. This is the most generic way to say time in Spanish and can be very versatile. 

No hay mucho tiempo antes del eclipse.
There isn’t much time before the eclipse.

Spanish Time Vocabulary

There are a few key vocabulary words that are essential for telling time in Spanish. 

EnglishSpanish
clockel reloj
dayel día
hourla hora
minuteel minuto
secondel segundo
watchel reloj

Parts of the Clock in Spanish

You can’t tell the time in Spanish without clocks! These are an important part of learning Spanish hours and minutes. Here are the most important clock words to know. 

Infographic

1. Hours (Las Horas)

This is probably the most obvious part of the clock. The big bold numbers are the first thing that catch your eye when you look up for the time. 

2. Minute Lines (Las líneas de los minutos)

These are the super small lines that go in between the big hour numbers. They help you pinpoint the exact minute of time on the clock.

3. Hour Hand (El horario)

The hour hand is the thickest and shortest arrow on the clock. Just as its name indicates, it points out the hour on the clock.

4. Minute Hand (El minutero)

The minute hand is longer than the hour hand. Again, the name tells you exactly what this hand is used for — telling the minutes!

5. Second Hand (El segundero)

Not all clocks have a second hand but the most precise ones do. This hand is usually long and very skinny. It moves rapidly as it must constantly keep up with the changing seconds for accuracy. 

How To Tell Someone the Time in Spanish

Now that you know the most common time words in Spanish you can learn how to use them. 

Get ready to learn how to tell the time in Spanish!

Telling Time on the Exact Hour

The first step in learning to tell time in Spanish is understanding how to talk about an exact hour. 

Expressing time in Spanish is different from how you talk about time in English. Spanish uses the plural third-person form of the verb ser when talking about time. This is because Spanish hours are always feminine. 

The number, or hour, is always preferenced with the plural feminine definite article (las). This is because it’s referring to the word hora, which is feminine. 

Let’s look at some examples!

Son las dos. 
It’s two o’clock.

Son las tres.
It’s three o’clock.

Son las cuatro.
 It’s four o’clock.

Son las cinco.
It’s five o’clock.

Do you see the pattern? Telling time on the hour is super easy! An important note to remember though: one o’clock is an exception to this rule! Instead of the plural form, one uses the singular form of ser since it is only one hour. 

Es la una.
It’s one o’clock.

Telling Time off of the Hour

how to tell the time in Spanish

Realistically, the time isn’t usually right at the hour. When you look at the clock, its hands are probably somewhere in between the hours. Luckily, Spanish has a few common phrases that solve this problem. 

  • half past — y media
  • quarter past — y cuarto
  • a quarter until the hour — menos cuarto

Son las dos y media. 
It’s two-thirty.

Es la una y cuarto. 
It’s one fifteen.

Son las seis menos cuarto. 
It’s a quarter until six.

Adding the Minutes

Need to be even more specific? You can also add the exact number of minutes past the hour. It’s incredibly simple, just follow the formula below!

Formula

es/son + las + hour + number of minutes

Son las cuatro veintinueve.
It’s four twenty-nine

how to tell the time in Spanish

Son las siete cuarenta y ocho.
It’s seven forty-eight.

This how to tell the time in Spanish video goes over this same information in a fun visual format!

How To Discuss Time in Spanish

Here are some great examples of time questions and answers that you might receive. 

How To Ask for the Time

¿Qué hora es?
What time is it?

¿A qué hora empieza? 
At what hour does it start?

¿A qué hora vas a levantar? 
At what hour will you get up?

how to tell the time in Spanish

How To Respond

Es la una y cuarto. 
It’s one fifteen.

A la una. 
At one.

A las cinco. 
At five.

Here’s a list of useful time phrases in Spanish that will help your sentences flow together naturally. For an extra telling time in Spanish practice, check out these time expressions that will further deepen your language skills. 

Time Phrases in Spanish Part 1

EnglishSpanish
at midnighta la medianoche
at noonal mediodía
during the daydurante el día
earlytemprano
every other weeksemana por medio
exactly or sharpen punto
in the afternoonpor la tarde
in the afternoonde la tarde
in the evening or nightpor la noche
in the evening or nightde la noche
in the morningpor la mañana
last Mondayel lunes pasado
last nightanoche
last weekla semana pasada
last yearel año pasado

Time Phrases in Spanish Part 2

EnglishSpanish
latetarde
morning or tomorrowla mañana
next Mondaylast el lunes que viene
next weekla semana que viene
next yearel año que viene
sunriseel amanecer
sunsetel atardecer
the day after tomorrowpasado mañana
the day before yesterdayanteayer
the night beforela noche anterior, anteanoche
tomorrow morningmañana por la mañana
tonightesta noche
yesterdayayer

It’s Time to Level-Up Your Spanish

Great job telling time in Spanish! When you start learning Spanish, you’re setting yourself up for future success. With over 53 million Spanish speakers in the U.S. alone, there are thousands of ways for you to use your language skills. From increased job opportunities to keeping your mind sharper for longer, it helps to know a second language. 

Learning how to tell the time in Spanish is a huge step forward on your language journey! However, consistent practice with a native-speaking teacher is the best way to achieve fluency. That’s why homeschool Spanish Academy offers personalized lessons with our certified teachers from Guatemala. We offer flexible scheduling and personalized lesson plans to suit all of your language learning needs. Try out a free class today!

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Sign up for your FREE TRIAL CLASS today!

Ready to learn more Spanish grammar and vocabulary? Check these out!

  • Solo vs Solamente: What’s the Difference?
  • A-Z: Beginner Spanish Word Lists for Kids + Free Flashcards
  • What Is an Infinitive in Spanish?
  • 50 Essential Medical Phrases for Your Upcoming Physical
  • How To Introduce Yourself in Spanish
  • 100+ Basic Spanish Words and Phrases for Travelers
  • The Sweetest Guide to Valentine’s Day Vocabulary in Spanish
  • How To Use the Spanish Verb ‘Parecer’

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Faustina Mulnik
Faustina Mulnik
Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy
As a native English speaker, I’ve spent over 6 years perfecting my Spanish. My studies have led me to major in Spanish, translate documents at a local museum, and communicate with people I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to know. I’ve studied abroad in Spain, lived in Yellowstone National Park for a summer, and volunteered in Costa Rica. I’m a passionate travel enthusiast seeking to share my love for all things Latin America.
Faustina Mulnik
Latest posts by Faustina Mulnik (see all)
  • How To Use the Spanish Verb ‘Parecer’ - February 12, 2023
  • How To Write Dates in Spanish - January 28, 2023
  • 50 Simple Spanish Questions To Ask in a Conversation (and How To Answer) - January 26, 2023
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