Try Practice with Avatalks AI tutors and 3D avatar lessons on our main site
Go back

Tell Time in Spanish: Hours, Minutes, Examples

By avatalks
5 min read (968 words)
How to tell time in Spanish with examples

If you can tell the time in Spanish, you instantly get more independent: catching trains, booking appointments, meeting friends, and understanding schedules.

Spanish time is simpler than it looks. You mainly need:

This guide shows the patterns, gives you lots of examples, and helps you avoid the most common mistakes.

TL;DR

The #1 question: “What time is it?” in Spanish

Use either one:

Quick answers:

The core rule: “Es la” vs “Son las”

How to tell time in Spanish for hours

Spanish treats “one o’clock” as singular and everything else as plural.

Full “o’clock” list in Spanish (1:00–12:00)

Es la… (only for 1:00)

Son las… (for 2:00–12:00)

Full pattern: hour + minutes

How to tell time in Spanish for minutes

1) Exact hour

2) Minutes “past” the hour (y…)

3) Minutes “to” the next hour (menos…)

Quick cheat sheet: the most useful time phrases

SpanishMeaningExample
en puntoexactlySon las ocho en punto.
y cuarto:15Son las tres y cuarto.
y media:30Son las nueve y media.
menos cuarto:45Son las dos menos cuarto.
de la mañanaAM morninga las 7 de la mañana
de la tardeafternoona las 5 de la tarde
de la nocheevening/nighta las 9 de la noche

Noon and midnight (these matter!)

Two words unlock a lot of schedule talk:

Examples:

How to say “at…” (for schedules)

Use a la / a las:

Useful sentences:

24-hour vs 12-hour time (what you’ll actually see)

In schedules (tickets, clinics, airports), you’ll often see the 24-hour clock:

In conversation, people often use de la mañana / de la tarde / de la noche:

Practice: test yourself (answers below)

Write or say these in Spanish:

  1. 1:00
  2. 2:15
  3. 4:30
  4. 7:45
  5. 11:10
  6. 12:00 (noon)
  7. 12:00 (midnight)
  8. “The train is at 8:05.”
  9. “What time is the interview?”
  10. “It’s 6:50.”

Answers

  1. Es la una.
  2. Son las dos y cuarto.
  3. Son las cuatro y media.
  4. Son las ocho menos cuarto.
  5. Son las once y diez.
  6. Es mediodía / Son las doce.
  7. Es medianoche / Son las doce .
  8. El tren es a las ocho y cinco.
  9. ¿A qué hora es la entrevista?
  10. Son las siete menos diez.

FAQ — Time in Spanish

Do people say ¿Qué hora es? or ¿Qué horas son?

Both exist. ¿Qué hora es? is the safest default.

Is “12:00” always Son las doce?

You can say Son las doce, but when meaning matters, use:

Is it okay to say seis cuarenta?

Some speakers do in casual speech, but the safest learner-friendly forms are:

How do I write the time correctly?

Common writing uses 12:30 (and sometimes 12.30 depending on style). In Spanish style guidance, both appear in formal contexts.

What to learn next

If you want time to feel easier, pair it with numbers practice (because minutes are numbers):

References

Share this post on:
Share this post on LinkedInShare this post via WhatsAppShare this post on FacebookShare this post on XShare this post via TelegramShare this post on PinterestShare this post via email
Previous Post
Colors in Spanish: Names, Grammar, Real Examples
Next Post
Improve Your Spanish with 15 Spanish Songs