La hora (the hour): Telling Time in Spanish: NOTES:
1. *Es la una = It’s 1:00 (one o’clock)
2. *Son las + # =
It’s … (any other hour except for 1:00)
Examples: Son las dos. = It is two o’clock.
Son las cinco. = It is five o’clock.
3. *y cuarto = quarter past an hour meaning :15 (15 minutes after that
hour)
**notice “cuarto”= ¼ or quarter BUT “cuatro” = 4
Example: Son las dos y cuarto = 2:15
4. * y media = half past an hour meaning :30 (30 minutes after that hour)
Example: Son las seis y media = 6:30
*Rules for adding all other minutes that are not :15/:30
-on the right side of the clock between :01 and :30 minutes after an hour, use
the Spanish word “y” which means “AND” to ADD the minutes to the hour.
Example: 7:05 = Son las siete y cinco
-on the left side of the clock between :31 minutes and :59 minutes after an
hour, you simply leave out the “y” that you used on the right side of the
clock.
Example: 7:40 = Son las siete cuarenta NOT Son las siete y cuarenta
*Another way:
-It is also common practice in Spanish (like it is in English) to say such
phrases as these when telling the time:
-It’s 20 (25) minutes till
-It’s 10 minutes till
-It’s 5 minutes till
*To accomplish this in Spanish, subtract the minutes from the next whole
hour by using the Spanish word menos = minus.
Example: Son las seis (6) menos diez = 6:00-10 minutes = 5:50