Telling time in Spanish
¿Qué hora es?
Spanish uses 'es' for one o'clock and 'son' for every other hour. Then it adds minutes with 'y' or takes them away with 'menos'.
Try it
Drag the blue hand. Watch the Spanish change.
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The rules
"Es la una" vs "Son las"
One o'clock is singular, so it uses "Es la una" (1:00 to 1:59). Every other hour (2 to 12) is plural and uses "Son las…".
- • 1:00 = Es la una
- • 2:00 = Son las dos
- • 8:00 = Son las ocho
Minutes 1 to 30: use "y"
From the hour to the half-hour, add "y" (and) and the minutes.
- • 2:10 = Son las dos y diez
- • 3:15 = Son las tres y cuarto
- • 4:30 = Son las cuatro y media
Minutes 31 to 59: use "menos"
After the half-hour, say the next hour and take away minutes with "menos" (minus).
- • 7:40 = Son las ocho menos veinte
- • 9:45 = Son las diez menos cuarto
Useful words
Printables| Spanish | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Qué hora es? | What time is it? | Asking the current time |
| Es la una… | It is one o'clock… | Singular: only for 1:00 to 1:59 |
| Son las dos, tres… | It is two, three o'clock… | Plural: hours 2 to 12 |
| …en punto | …o'clock exactly | Son las cinco en punto |
| …y cuarto | …quarter past | Son las dos y cuarto (2:15) |
| …y media | …half past | Son las seis y media (6:30) |
| …menos cuarto | …quarter to | Son las ocho menos cuarto (7:45) |
| de la mañana | in the morning | From sunrise until noon |
| de la tarde | in the afternoon | From noon until early evening |
| de la noche | at night | From evening until midnight |
| mediodía | midday / noon | Es mediodía |
| medianoche | midnight | Es medianoche |
Quick quiz
1 / 4For teachers and parents
- • Use in MFL lessons (KS2/KS3, Spanish I): pupils set a time on the clock, say it aloud, then check the written phrase.
- • Key contrast to teach: es la una (singular) and son las dos (plural).
- • Prior learning: telling time to five minutes in English. See our lessons at /learn/.
- • Check with a speaker: spoken forms vary by region. Please confirm usage with a native speaker for assessed work.
Questions
How do you ask what time it is in Spanish?
Say '¿Qué hora es?'. To ask at what time something happens, say '¿A qué hora es…?'.
Why do we say 'Es la una' but 'Son las dos'?
The verb matches the number. One o'clock is singular (la una), so we use 'es'. Hours from 2 to 12 are plural (las dos, las tres), so we use 'son'.
How do you say quarter past and half past in Spanish?
Quarter past is 'y cuarto' (Son las tres y cuarto = 3:15). Half past is 'y media' (Son las cinco y media = 5:30).