Hasta vs para with time

Question

This sounds right to me, but my native friends say I should use "para" instead of "hasta". I hope you guys can tell me how you would say these, and why I'm wrong and they're right. I wish you all a great new year.

1) One minute until 10 o'clock

Me: un minuto hasta las diez

Mis amigos: un minuto para las diez

2) Two minutes until midnight

Me: dos minutos hasta la medianoche

Mis amigos: dos minutos para la medianoche

3) Three minutes until the new year

Me: tres minutos hasta el año nuevo

Mis amigos: tres minutos para el año nuevo/ tres minutos antes del año nuevo

4) Thirty minutes until five o'clock

Me: treinta minutos hasta las cinco. Cinco menos treinta. Cinco menos media.

Mis amigos: treinta minutos antes de las cinco/ treinta minutos para las cinco

Answer 1

For numbers 1 through 3, I would say it like your friends did. The choice between hasta and para is not so much a grammar thing but a matter of simply how the language is spoken.

For number 4, I would say cuatro y media. I have never heard anyone say this the way your friends did and I have never heard the English variant that you have used.

Thanks a bunch Julian! You're right about 4. I think I meant to say 20 minutes until five. Would that be cinco menos veinte/ veinte minutos para las cinco? - Ramonaspiker, Dec 27, 2016

Yes,Ramona, that´s one way to say it. For me, the most natural way is "Son / faltan veinte para las cinco" - 005faa61, Dec 27, 2016

Thank you Julian! Last question. If I wanted to say there's are ten minutes until my shift finishes, would that be "faltan diez minutos para que termina mi turno? - Ramonaspiker, Dec 27, 2016

Ramona, thats good but "terminar" should be in subjunctive "termine" - 005faa61, Dec 27, 2016

Oh thanks! Any particular reason for the subjunctive? - Ramonaspiker, Dec 28, 2016