2 Asking and telling the time

To ask and tell the time (la hora) in Spanish, use the following expressions.

• ¿Qué hora es? What time is it? / What’s the time?

• La una. / Es la una.  It’s one o’clock.

• Las dos. / Son las dos.  It’s two o’clock.

• Las tres. / Son las tres.  It’s three o’clock.

Notice that the article la / las is always used with times. It is feminine because it refers to the noun hora / horas.

Note that the answer is in the singular (Es la una) for one o’clock and in the plural for all other times (Son las dos / tres / cuatro…).

More precise time is given in the following way.

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These are eleven drawings of clock faces illustrating the following times, from top to bottom: five past seven (Son las siete y cinco); ten past seven (Son las siete y diez); a quarter past seven (Son las siete y cuarto); twenty past seven (Son las siete y veinte); twenty-five past seven (Son las siete y veinticinco); half past seven (Son las siete y media); twenty-five to eight (Son las ocho menos vienticinco); twenty to eight (Son las menos viente); a quarter to eight (Son las menos cuarto); ten to eight (Son las menos diez); five to eight (Son las ocho menos cinco).