1.8: Telling Time
- Page ID
- 415615
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Telling time: ¿Qué hora es?
We use time to describe when something takes place. For this reason, we use the verb ser to tell time in Spanish.
To say what time it is, we use es la with una and son las with all of the other hours.
For example
Es la una de la tarde. It is one o’clock in the afternoon.
Son las dos de la tarde. It is two o’clock in the afternoon.
Son las diez de la noche. It is ten o’clock in the evening.
Any time the minutes are less than thirty, we say the hour and add the number of minutes.
Es la una y diez. It is one ten.
Son las tres y cuarto de la tarde. It is three fifteen in the afternoon.
Son las siete y media de la noche. It is seven thirty at night.
Notice how we can use the word cuarto to say fifteen minutes and media to say half an hour.
Any time the minutes are more than thirty, we say the next hour and subtract the number of minutes to that hour.
Es la una menos diez. It is ten minutes to one.
Son las cuatro menos cuarto. It is fifteen minutes to four.
Son las once menos veinte de la noche. It is twenty minutes to eleven in the evening.
Below are some other useful expressions related to telling time.
¿Qué hora es? What time is it?
de la manaña in the morning
de la tarde in the afternoon
de la noche in the evening
Es el mediodía. It is noon.
Es la medianoche. It is midnight.
ahora now
más temprano earlier
más tarde later
nunca never
siempre always
Prácticas.
A. Write the following times out in Spanish.
1. 8:00 a.m.
2. 10:15 p.m.
3. Noon
4. 1:30 p.m.
5. 4:00 a.m.
6. 8:20 p.m.
7. 9:40 a.m.
8. Midnight.
9. 7:12 p.m.
10. 11:55 a.m.
B. Explain when you do the following things with time expressions in Spanish. Remember to use the expressions a la or a las before your time expression.
1. Me despierto
2. Salgo de mi casa para ir
3. Lllego a la universidad
4. Salgo de la universidad
5. Llego a mi trabajo
6. Salgo de mi trabajo
7. Como la cena
8. Estudio
9. Cepillo los dientes
10. Me acuesto
C. Answer the following questions with a time construction in Spanish.
1. ¿Qué hora es?
2. ¿A qué hora te despiertas?
3. ¿A qué hora sales de tu casa para la universidad?
4. ¿A qué hora empiezan tus clases?
5. ¿A qué hora sales de la universidad?
6. ¿A qué hora comes la cena?
7. ¿A qué hora haces tu tarea?
8. ¿A qué hora apagas tu celular?
9. ¿A qué hora te duermes?
10. ¿Qué hora es ahora?
D. Explain how to tell time in Spanish to someone. Then, write five examples of telling time.