Help me, please! ¿Qué hora es?

Question

¡Hola!

I'm still rather confused with Spanish time expressions....Could you help me with some useful examples, please?
Am I right about these Spanish time phrases?

Son las seis y media -5:30
Son las diez de la noche - 10.00 p.m (22.00)
Son las nueve y cuarto - 9:15
Son las diez menos cuarto- 9:45
Son las diez menos veinte- 9:40
Son las nueve de la mañana 9.00 a.m.
Es la una de la tarde 13. 00

Best regards,

Dasha

Answer 1

5:30 Son las cinco y media

Answer 2

Hmmm.... does it mean that "son las nueve y media" is 9:30''''?
Thank you, Gipper79!!!!

¡Muchas gracias!

Answer 3

looks ok to me apart from 5:30 is cinco y media not seis y media
Dont forget that you can use the preterite tense for past events.
Eran las cinco y media.cuando....... It was 5:30 when.......

Answer 4

Okay... I hope I've got that... "Son las siete y media'- 6:30?
¡Muchas gracias!

rob said:

looks ok to me apart from 5:30 is cinco y media not seis y mediaDont forget that you can use the preterite tense for past events.Eran las cinco y media.cuando....... It was 5:30 when.......

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Answer 5

Dont forget that you can use the preterite tense for past events.
Eran las cinco y media.cuando....... It was 5:30 when.......

That is the imperfect, not the preterit. I don't think the preterit can be used for time.

Answer 6

I don't know if it is a regional thing but I've never heard Son las diez menos veinte to mean 9.40. I've always heard it said as son veinte para las diez. '''

Answer 7

I am not a native Spanish speaker, but all that you wrote above seems to be correct, EXCEPT the first one should be: Son las cinco y media -5:30, I think? Other than that, I would say the times as you did! I don't know if I'm supposed to answer you, since I'm not a native Spanish speaker; I just wanted to help. Should only native Spanish speakers answer this? i don't know, I'm new to this site!

Answer 8

There's no requirement that you be a native speaker. The only (possible) drawback to answering is the embarrassment that you might feel if your answer turns out to be wrong. On the other hand, making mistakes (and having them corrected) is part of the learning process.

Answer 9

Thanks Samdie!

samdie said:

There's no requirement that you be a native speaker. The only (possible) drawback to answering is the embarrassment that you might feel if your answer turns out to be wrong. On the other hand, making mistakes (and having them corrected) is part of the learning process.

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Answer 10

Dear Robert,

Thank you a lot for your answers! I believe even being not a native Spanish speaker you speak Spanish much better than me...
You're welcome to correct my Spanish as well as English ( as English is not my mother tongue).

Robert Austin said:

I don't know if it is a regional thing but I've never heard Son las diez menos veinte to mean 9.40. I've always heard it said as son veinte para las diez. ''?

>

Answer 11

Si usas la hora militar entonces 13.00 son las trece horas.

Y no te compliques, simplemente di el número de la hora y el de los minutos... ¡listo!

5:30 las cinco treinta
10:00 las diez en punto
9:15 las nueve quince
9:45 las nueve cuarenta y cinco
9:40 las nueve cuarenta
9:00 las nueve de la mañana

Answer 12

grasias....it is nice to me too.............mucho besos..I also learnt it..? didnt know 'menos' mean.......

Answer 13

5:30 Son las cinco y media es verdad.

Answer 14

i'm not following this discussion anymore; but the first one is incorrect. Several people gave you the correct translation last night.