Telling Time In Spanish

Here are several ways to tell time in Spanish. It's easy.

To ask "What time is it?" or "What is the time?", say "¿Qué hora es?".

How to tell time in Spanish?

1. Ser = to be

This is the only verb that you need to know when telling the time. Its singular form is es la (it is) and the plural form is son las (they are).

Note:

“es la” is only used when the hour is one o’clock

Use “son las” for all other hours

es la/son las + number = it’s…o’clock

Son las dos - It's two o'clock

To tell the time using hours and minutes

Tell the first half hour

Son las + hour + y + number of minutes

Son las siete y seis - It's 7:06

To tell the second half hour

Son las + the next hour + menos + the amount of minutes remaining until the following hour

Son las once menos veinte - It's 10:40

Es la una menos veinticinco - It's 12:35

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