Why do we use "y cuarto" but "y media" when telling time?

Question

Why is the phrase "y cuarto" always masculine but the phrase "y media" always feminine when telling time?

Answer 1

The reason is simple: One of the nouns is masculine and one is feminine.

Un cuarto= a fourth. Yes, it can also be an adjective, and in that case it can change to accomodate the noun it is describing. However, when used as a noun, it is a fourth. And that is masculine.

Una media= a half Again, just like the above, this is a noun we are talking about. When it is an adjective, it can be changed to masculine or feminine to accomodate the noun. But when it is a noun, it will be masculine. Just like most nouns in the Spanish language, it has one gender, and it sticks with it.

A box will always be "una caja" and a computer will always be "un ordenador." To have "un caja" does not refer to a box, nor does "una ordenador" refer to a computer. You cannot change the nouns' genders. That is why you cannot change it to "una cuarta" or "un medio". Those aren´t nouns that you are referring to.

Therefore, in time, you are saying "an hour and a half" referring to the noun of "one half" or "three and a quarter (3:15)" referring to "one quarter." You are not referring to anything but the noun in and of itself. You are not referring to an absent noun that you are creating an adjective for.

Answer 2

Because cuarto ends in "o" and media ends in "a".

Spanish nouns are not so simple! Tema is masculine, and mano is feminine... - missy8888, Mar 20, 2012

pretty much all words ending in -ema are going to be masculine; I don't remember any specific rules for words ending in -ano - MeEncantanCarasSonrisas, Nov 12, 2012

Answer 3

I thought that both of the nouns themselves were masculine...un medio y un cuarto. If this is true, then it should always be "y medio" as well as "y cuarto", shouldn't it?

As I said, "media", in the case of time, is most likely being used as an adjective to modify the noun "hora". - dukaine, Mar 21, 2012

Answer 4

My guess would be that perhaps the full version is "...and a quarter of an hour" in the case of "y cuarto" and "...and a half hour" in the case of "y media". In this case, the Spanish would be "y un cuarto de una hora" and "y media hora" or "y una hora media". "Media" would be modifying "hora" which is feminine, while "cuarto" is standing alone and is inherently masculine. Once shortened, each retains its original form.

Don't know for sure, but that makes sense to me.

no, they are not adjectives. They aren´t referring to an absent noun. - missy8888, Mar 20, 2012