Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes
Learn to tell time in Spanish with phrases like "Es la una" (It's one o'clock) and "Son las cinco en punto" (It's five o'clock sharp). Master expressions using "y" (and) to add minutes and "menos" (minus) to subtract minutes, plus key time indicators like "de la mañana" (in the morning) and "de la noche" (at night).
- "Es la" is used for one o'clock because it is singular.
- "Son las" is used for all other hours because they are plural.
- To add minutes, use "y" after the hour up to 30 minutes.
- To subtract minutes, use "menos" before the hour after 30 minutes.
- Use en punto to indicate that it is an exact hour, with no additional minutes.
| Formar la hora (Telling the time) | Fórmula (Formula) | Ejemplo (Example) |
|---|---|---|
| En punto (On the dot) | Es la / Son las + Hora (+ en punto) | Es la una. (It is one.) |
| Son las cinco en punto. (It is five o'clock.) | ||
| Añadir minutos (Add minutes) | Hora + y + minutos | Son las dos y diez. (It is two ten.) |
| Son las cuatro y media. (It is half past four.) | ||
| Restar minutos (Subtract minutes) | Hora + menos + minutos | Son las seis menos veinte. (It is twenty to six.) |
| Es la una menos cuarto. (It is one quarter to.) | ||
| Momento del día (Time of day) | Hora + de la mañana | Es la una de la mañana. (It is one in the morning.) |
| Hora + de la tarde | Son las tres de la tarde. (It is three in the afternoon.) | |
| Hora + de la noche | Son las once de la noche. (It is eleven at night.) |
Exceptions!
- Use "y media" to indicate exactly thirty minutes past the hour. For example: 17:30 PM.
- Use "cuarto" to indicate exactly fifteen minutes before or after the hour. For example: 09:45 am or 15:15 pm
Exercise 1: ¿Cómo decir la hora?
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
cuatro y cuarto, once y cinco, diez menos cuarto, la una, dos y cinco, cinco, ocho y media
1.
09:45 AM:
Son las ... de la mañana.
(It is quarter to ten in the morning.)
2.
5:00 AM:
Son las ... de la mañana.
(It is five o'clock in the morning.)
3.
23:05 PM:
Son las ... de la noche.
(It is five past eleven in the evening.)
4.
2:05 AM:
Son las ... de la noche.
(It is five past two in the morning.)
5.
20:30 PM:
Son las ... de la noche.
(It is half past eight in the evening.)
6.
13:00 PM:
Es ... en punto de la tarde.
(It is one o'clock in the afternoon.)
7.
16:15 PM:
Son las ... de la tarde.
(It is quarter past four in the afternoon.)
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Son las tres ___ cuarto de la tarde.
(It is three ___ quarter in the afternoon.)2. Es la una ___ punto de la mañana.
(It is one ___ o'clock in the morning.)3. Son las cinco ___ veinte de la tarde.
(It is five ___ twenty in the afternoon.)4. Son las ocho ___ media de la noche.
(It is eight ___ half at night.)5. ¿Qué hora es? Son las nueve ___ la noche.
(What time is it? It is nine ___ night.)6. Llego a las siete ___ cinco de la mañana.
(I arrive at seven ___ five in the morning.)