Telling the time and reading the clock
Decir la hora y leer el reloj
- Ask and tell the time
- Read the clock
- How to tell the time?
Learn how to tell time in Spanish with key phrases like "¿Cuándo quedamos?" (When shall we meet?) and common expressions for reading the clock, essential for everyday conversations.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
Vocabulary (24) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Reorder sentences
Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.
Exercise 2: Match a word
Instruction: Match the translations
Exercise 3: Cluster the words
Instruction: Classify the following words into two categories based on whether they are used to express 'exact time' or to indicate the 'time of day'.
Hora exacta
Momento del día
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Llegar
To arrive
2
De la noche
At night
3
Menos cuarto
Quarter to
4
Menos veinte
Twenty to
5
De la tarde
In the afternoon
Ejercicio 5: Conversation exercise
Instrucción:
- What time is it in the pictures? (What time is it in the pictures?)
- What time is it right now? (What time is it right now?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
|
Son las tres y media. It's half past 3. |
|
Son las cuatro de la tarde. It is four o'clock in the afternoon. |
|
Son las doce menos cuarto. It's a quarter to twelve. |
|
Son las cinco y diez. It is ten after five. |
|
Son las diez y cuarto de la mañana. It's quarter past ten in the morning. |
|
Es la una de la madrugada. It is one o'clock at night. |
| ... |
Exercise 6: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 7: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Yo siempre ____ a la oficina a las nueve en punto.
(I always ____ at the office at nine o'clock.)2. ¿Qué hora es? ____ las cinco y cuarto de la tarde.
(What time is it? ____ quarter past five in the afternoon.)3. María siempre ____ el reloj para no llegar tarde a sus reuniones.
(María always ____ the clock to avoid being late for her meetings.)4. Nosotros ____ a la reunión a las ocho de la noche, como está marcado.
(We ____ at the meeting at eight o'clock at night, as scheduled.)Exercise 8: Organizing the meeting at the right time
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Leer - Leer
Presente
- yo leo
- tú lees
- él/ella/usted lee
- nosotros/nosotras leemos
- vosotros/vosotras leéis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes leen
Llegar - Llegar
Presente
- yo llego
- tú llegas
- él/ella/usted llega
- nosotros/nosotras llegamos
- vosotros/vosotras llegáis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes llegan
Ser - Ser
Presente
- yo soy
- tú eres
- él/ella/usted es
- nosotros/nosotras somos
- vosotros/vosotras sois
- ellos/ellas/ustedes son
Exercise 9: ¿Cómo decir la hora?
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: How to tell the time?
Show translation Show answerscuatro y cuarto, once y cinco, diez menos cuarto, la una, dos y cinco, cinco, ocho y media
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Leer to read Share Copied!
Presente
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) leo | I read |
| (tú) lees | You read |
| (él/ella) lee | he reads/she reads |
| (nosotros/nosotras) leemos | we read |
| (vosotros/vosotras) leéis | You read |
| (ellos/ellas) leen | they read |
Llegar to arrive Share Copied!
Presente
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) llego | I arrive |
| (tú) llegas | You arrive |
| (él/ella) llega | he/she arrives |
| (nosotros/nosotras) llegamos | we arrive |
| (vosotros/vosotras) llegáis | You arrive |
| (ellos/ellas) llegan | they arrive |
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Introduction to Telling the Time in Spanish
This lesson focuses on how to ask and say the time in Spanish, a fundamental skill for everyday communication. You'll learn key expressions to arrange meetings, understand the structure of time-telling, and practice common phrases used in real-life situations.
Key Vocabulary and Expressions
- ¿Cuándo quedamos? – "When shall we meet?" This is a useful expression to arrange a meeting or appointment.
- ¿Qué hora es? – "What time is it?" The basic question to ask for the time.
- Es la una – "It's one o'clock." Spanish uses "Es la" for 1:00 because "hora" (hour) is feminine and singular.
- Son las dos – "It's two o'clock." For hours 2 and above, "Son las" is used, plural form.
- y cuarto – "and a quarter" (15 minutes past the hour)
- y media – "and a half" (30 minutes past the hour)
- menos cuarto – "quarter to" (15 minutes before the hour)
Examples of Time Expressions
- Es la una y cinco. – It’s 1:05.
- Son las tres y cuarto. – It’s 3:15.
- Son las cinco y media. – It’s 5:30.
- Son las siete menos veinte. – It’s 6:40 (twenty to seven).
How to Ask “When shall we meet?”
The phrase "¿Cuándo quedamos?" is a casual and common way to propose meeting up. You can answer by specifying a time using the expressions above or by naming a specific hour.
Differences Between English and Spanish Time Expressions
In English, we say "It's one o'clock" using "It's" for all hours, but Spanish distinguishes by saying "Es la una" (singular) for one o’clock, and "Son las" (plural) for all other hours. Spanish uses a 12-hour clock format complemented by context or by adding "de la mañana" (in the morning), "de la tarde" (in the afternoon), or "de la noche" (at night) to clarify time of day.
Useful phrases include:
- ¿A qué hora quedamos? – "At what time shall we meet?"
- Quedamos a las cinco y media. – "Let's meet at 5:30."
- ¿Puedes a las tres? – "Can you make it at 3?"
This lesson provides the building blocks you'll need to confidently manage conversations involving time in Spanish.
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