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LA HORA/ THE HOUR

CULTURAL NOTES: In some Latin American countries, such as Argentina, the military hour is used to clarify between A.M. and P.M. For instance, Friends will be at 20:00 hours (8 P.M.).


TELLING TIME

Es la una + y or menos + the minutes
Son las + hour + y or menos + the minutes

The following are important details to remember when telling time is Spanish:

1. The feminine definite article la is always used before the hour because la refers to la hora/ the hour. NOTE that when the masculine article el is used, it is referring to a number and not the time.

EXAMPLES

Time
Time in Spanish
2:30 P.M.
Son las dos y media de la tarde.
3:15 A.M.
Son las tres y cuarto de la mañana.
Son las tres y quince de la mañana.
#2
Es el (número) dos, el que quiero./ It's the (number) two, which I want.

 

NOTE: In the above examples that the hour is given first, and then the minutes.


2. The verb es is used with only una/one, and son is used with all the other hours:

EXAMPLES

Time
Time in Spanish
1:05
Es la una y cinco.
1:40
Es la una y cuarenta.
1:00
Es la una.

NOTE: In the above examples that y is equivalent to past or after.


3. Menos or para is the equivalent of until or to.

EXAMPLES

Time
Time in Spanish
9:55
Son las 10 menos cinco.
Son las cinco para las diez.
12:35
Es la una menos veinticinco.

 


4. A + la(s) + time is equivalent to at + time.

EXAMPLES

Time
Time in Spanish
2:00
A las dos./ At two o'clock.
1:40
A la una y cuarenta./ At one-forty

 


5. Por la is equivalent to in + the. It is used when a specific time is not mentioned.

EXAMPLES

  • Salimos por la tarde./ We go out in the afternoon.
  • Te hablo por la mañana./ I'll talk to you in the morning.

6. De la is also equivalent to in + the. However, this expression is used to express a specific time.

EXAMPLES

  • Salimos a las tres de la tarde./ We'll go out at three in the afternoon.
  • Te hablo a las ocho de la mañana./ I'll talk to you at eight in the morning.


7. Useful words

 

Spanish
English
mediodía
noon
medianoche
midnight
madrugada , amanecer
dawn
atardecer
late afternoon
media
half
cuarto
quarter
y pico (informal) a little after

 

EXERCISE
1 2

 

 

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