I think I have Spanish time figured out... ^^ Mostly unsure on 7:40 >.<

Question

I am reviewing looking at clocks and telling the time. I perceive the concept of the - side and the + side. I just don't understand cuarto, media, and ex. diez menos diez. I know cuarto is 15 and media is 30 but diez menos diez oesn't make sense.

I need how to write these times:
5:10 ; my guess: Son las cinco.
7:40 ; my guess: Son las siete y cuarenta (but we haven't learned 40 yet so ''')
1:30 ; my guess: Es la una y media.
9:00 ; my guess: Son las nueve.
6:15 ; my guess: Son las seis y cuarto.

Answer 1

David said:

Ejemplo: 8:47=son las nueve menos treinta (because it is thirteen minutes before nine)

Menos trece (13), not treinta (30).

Answer 2

mullet60 said:

ocho menos diez

Son las ocho menos veinte is 7:40. Menos diez is 7:50.

Answer 3

Quentin said:

What idea does pasadas convey? It's around 4:35? It's approximately 4:00? I understand that you are rounding off to the nearest 5 minutes, but how would you translate it? Or do you? Is just translated as ? ?

pasadas or van a ser

pasadas: just past the time
van a ser: just before the time

These are very colloquial expressions to avoid using the minutes not dividable by 5.

So saying:

Son las 8 pasadas. This can be anything between 8.01 and 8.05.

Van a ser las 8. This can be anything between: 7.55 and 7.59.

This is not a rule rule though. Some people will tell you "son las 9 pasadas" when it is 9.10 (unusual but possible) and others will say:" van a ser las 8" when it is 7.50.

Answer 4

ocho menos diez
For 7:40 could I do ocho menos nueve?
8:47=son las nueve menos treinta (because it is thirteen minutes before nine)
No, because 7:40 is twenty minutes before nine, not nine minutes before.

All this is incorrect!

7.40

Two possibilities:

son las siete cuarenta
Son las ocho menos veinte.

Other than in English, we say:

1) hours
2) minutes

If the minutes are past a given time: y

Son as 8 y 10 (8.10)

If the hour is before/to a given time: menos

Son las 8 menos 10 (7.50)

The wording: son las siete cincuenta would not be used colloquially.

Answer 5

What idea does pasadas convey? It's around 4:35? It's approximately 4:00? I understand that you are rounding off to the nearest 5 minutes, but how would you translate it? Or do you? Is just translated as ?
?

pisacaballo said:

When you have a time like 4:37 or 4:03 just add the word "pasadas" so:4:37 ---|> Las cinco menos 25 pasadas.4:03 ---|> Las cuatro en punto pasadas.

>

Answer 6

Rosa said:

For 7:40 could I do ocho menos nueve?

No, because 7:40 is twenty minutes before nine, not nine minutes before.

Answer 7

The way that I learned is as follows:

X:00=son las X (es la una, if 1:00)
Ejemplo: 4:00=son las cuatro

X:01-X:30=son las X y... (es la una y..., if 1:01-1:30)
Ejemplo: 5:26=son las cinco y veintiseis

X:31-X:59=son las X+1 menos... (es la una menos..., if 12:31-12:59)
Ejemplo: 8:47=son las nueve menos treinta (because it is thirteen minutes before nine)

I know this appears difficult, but it gets easier with practice.

Answer 8

First you say the number of hours that is nearest to the number of minutes.

e.g 4:35 -->> 5 menos veinticinco ( because 5:00 minus 25 minutes is 4:35 )
4:40 ---|>> 5 menos veinte
4:45 ---|>> 5 menos cuarto ( 5:00 minus one quarter of hour. There is another way to say it that is "faltan 15 para las " but it is less common )
4:50 ---|>> 5 menos diez
4:55 ---|>> 5 menos cinco
5:00 ---|>> Las cinco en punto o solo las cinco
5:15 ---|>> 5 y cuarto
5:20 ---|>> 5 y veinte
5:25 ---|>> 5 y veinticinco
5:30 ---|>> Las cinco y media ( half past 5 )

When you have a time like 4:37 or 4:03 just add the word "pasadas" so:
4:37 ---|> Las cinco menos 25 pasadas.
4:03 ---|> Las cuatro en punto pasadas.

Of course you can always say the time like it is.
4:37 ---|> Las cuatro y treinta y siete ( Las cuatro horas treinta y siete minutos )

Answer 9

ocho menos diez

Answer 10

For 7:40 could I do ocho menos nueve'