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At What Time?
Learn to ask about and tell time, and talk about when things happen
Telling Time
Saying the Time
Use "es la" for 1:00 and "son las" for all other hours. Add minutes with "y" (and) or subtract with "menos" (minus).
Es la una.It's one o'clock.
Son las tres.It's three o'clock.
Son las diez y cuarto.It's ten fifteen.
Son las ocho y media.It's eight thirty.
Son las cinco menos diez.It's ten to five. (4:50)
Morning, Afternoon, or Night
Spanish does not use a.m. or p.m. Instead, add "de la mañana" (morning), "de la tarde" (afternoon), or "de la noche" (night) after the time to be clear. Use "de la tarde" from around noon until sunset, and "de la noche" after dark.
Son las nueve de la mañana.It's 9 a.m. (nine in the morning)
Son las nueve de la noche.It's 9 p.m. (nine at night)
Son las tres de la tarde.It's 3 p.m. (three in the afternoon)
Es la una de la mañana.It's 1 a.m. (one in the morning)
Son las doce del día.It's noon. (twelve midday)
Son las doce de la noche.It's midnight. (twelve at night)
Asking About Time
Use "¿A qué hora...?" to ask when something happens. The answer uses "a la" (for 1:00) or "a las" (for other hours).
¿A qué hora es la clase?What time is the class?
A las nueve de la mañana.At nine in the morning.
¿A qué hora llegas?What time do you arrive?
Telling Time
Daily Schedule
Street Time Talk (Northern Mexico)
Asking and Telling Time
Ready to Practice?
You're calling a doctor's office to schedule an appointment. One person is the receptionist, the other is the patient.
Start Lab: Scheduling an Appointment