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What Time is it Where You Are? (Telling time)

What Time is it Where You Are? (Telling time)

15
votes

What time is it where you are? If you need help, here is a lesson!

To give only the hour we use "Son las _____________" for every hour but 1:00. For example, "Son las seis" would tell someone that it was 6:00. How would we say that it was 8:00? That's right! ¡Son las ocho! And 11:00? ¡Son las once!

Why do you think telling someone it is 1:00 would be different than the other 11 hours?

Sí, eso es. 1:00 is the only singular hour. Therefore we use "Es la una!"

If you want to tell someone that something begins at a certain hour, just use an "a" in place of the es or son.

If you want to say at 6:00, it would be a las seis! And at 8:00? Sí, a las ocho. And at 11:00? That's it! ¡A las once!

To tell any time between :01 and :30 after the hour we just add the minutes to the hour. Do you remember doing some addition in Module 1? What did we use? That's right, we used "y." We use the same thing with time.

Son las seis y veinte tells someone that it is 6:20.

And 8:10? Sí, son las ocho y diez.

How about 1:25? Sí, es la una y veinticinco.

There are 2 instances in which we do not use the numbers. They are :15 (cuarto) and :30 (media.) In English we do the same. If it is 3:15, sometimes we say 3:15 and other times "a quarter after 3."

In Spanish 3:15 is just that "Son las tres y cuarto." And 4:15? Son las cuatro y cuarto. (notice the spelling of 4 and ¼)

What do we say for :30? Yes, half past. In Spanish 3:30 is Son las tres y media. And 1:30? ¡Espléndido! Es la una y media.

To tell time between :31 and :59 minutes after the hour we use menos instead of y. Say that it is 2:50. 2:50 is closer to 3:00 than 2:00.

So we say that it is 3:00 minus 10 minutes. Son las tres menos diez.

6:55 would be Son las siete menos cinco.

What about 12:40? ¡Fantástico! Es la una menos veinte.

"Cuarto" is also used as "quarter 'til." 8:45 is Son las nueve menos cuarto.

4973 views
updated MAY 13, 2010
edited by princessjane
posted by princessjane
Nice post :) - April-Sarah, MAY 12, 2010
very detailed. :) - MeEncantanCarasSonrisas, MAY 12, 2010
Agree - nice post :) - Lrtward, MAY 12, 2010
Great post, and a new avatar, you have been busy:) - Yeser007, MAY 12, 2010
I do new avatars every day:P I get bored of old ones - princessjane, MAY 13, 2010

23 Answers

5
votes

Excellent pricess, now, maybe everybody can give us their time, I will start:

Son las 18.55.

Son las siete menos cinco.

Faltan unas 4 horas para que el Atlético de Madrid sea campeón de la Liga Europearaspberry

Atléeeeeeeeeeeeeti, Atléeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeti.

updated MAY 12, 2010
posted by 00494d19
ganamos!!!! - 00494d19, MAY 12, 2010
sigh. Tú y tu fútbol. ;) - Lrtward, MAY 12, 2010
4
votes

Princess, como bien dijiste, no es así como se dice la hora, no se usa lo de "am o pm"

Dilo bienwink

updated MAY 12, 2010
posted by 00494d19
3
votes

2:11pm in Florida

10:11am in Costa Rica

Son las 2:11

Son las 10:11.

updated MAY 12, 2010
edited by princessjane
posted by princessjane
hey, tell the time correctly, after all this is your thread - 00494d19, MAY 12, 2010
3
votes

Las expresiones como "las cinco menos veinte" comúnmente son de locutores de radio.

updated MAY 12, 2010
posted by AntMexico
2
votes

En Polonia son las doce menos doce (11:48) de la noche.

updated MAY 12, 2010
posted by Issabela
2
votes

Aquí, en Nueva Zealanda, son las nueve y cuarenta y cinco.

Por favor corregid mi Español.

updated MAY 12, 2010
posted by April-Sarah
noooo, tampoco, pero alguien se puede leer el texto!! las 10 menos cuarto - 00494d19, MAY 12, 2010
2
votes

En Grecia: son las 11:33 ( once menos veinticinco) por la noche o son casi las once y media.

updated MAY 12, 2010
posted by George-Anemos
noooo, son las 12 menos 25 - 00494d19, MAY 12, 2010
2
votes

En Costa Rica. Ahorita es una y cuarenta de la tarde.

updated MAY 12, 2010
posted by 00a52084
las dos menos veinte, la una cuarenta no se dice - 00494d19, MAY 12, 2010
2
votes

Ya son las siete y media en Madrid, puffff, estoy por ir a Neptuno, a ver si hay gente....jeje, vamos, seguuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuro que hay gente!!!

updated MAY 12, 2010
posted by 00494d19
2
votes

En Inglaterra son las seis y media smile.

updated MAY 12, 2010
posted by --Jen--
2
votes

In Philadelphia, USA:

Es la una y veintitres de la tarde. smile

updated MAY 12, 2010
posted by Nicole-B
bieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen, por fin ua que lo dice bien:) - 00494d19, MAY 12, 2010
2
votes

Son las 3:16 en Australia.

(yes, I am in Australia at the moment at the airport)

updated MAY 12, 2010
edited by Hailyann
posted by Hailyann
when do you leave for Miami? - princessjane, MAY 12, 2010
the time is not said like this, try again - 00494d19, MAY 12, 2010
1
vote

Nice post, Princess.

En Louisiana (USA) son las seis y veintidos. smile

updated MAY 12, 2010
posted by Delores--Lindsey
1
vote

Son las seis menos siete por la tarde en Georgia (EEUU).

It is 5:53 in the afternoon en Georgia (USA).

updated MAY 12, 2010
posted by MeEncantanCarasSonrisas
1
vote

Aquí son las siete menos veinticinco y acabo de cenar. Sí, está temprano para la cena pero tenía hambre, entonces comé. vampire

updated MAY 12, 2010
posted by Lrtward
jeje - Delores--Lindsey, MAY 12, 2010
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