Spanish · A1 · Everyday language
Plan Your Evening in Spanish
This guide helps parents discuss evening routines and schedules with their children while mastering the basics of telling time in Spanish.
What you'll learn
- Ask for the current time.
- State the time for specific evening activities.
- Use 'half past' and 'quarter' increments in Spanish.
Spanish phrases for plan your evening
¿Qué hora es?
What time is it?
The standard way to ask for the time.
Son las tres.
It is three o'clock.
We use 'Son las' for all hours except one o'clock.
El entrenamiento empieza a las cuatro.
Practice starts at four o'clock.
Use 'a las' to say 'at' a specific time.
Tu amigo viene a las cuatro y media.
Your friend comes at half past four.
'Y media' literally means 'and a half'.
La cena es a las seis.
Dinner is at six o'clock.
Commonly used for daily scheduled events.
El tiempo de juego termina a las siete y cuarto.
Game time ends at quarter past seven.
'Y cuarto' means 'and a quarter' (15 minutes).
Leemos a las ocho menos cuarto.
We read at quarter to eight.
'Menos cuarto' means 'minus a quarter' (7:45).
La hora de dormir es a las nueve.
Bedtime is at nine o'clock.
'La hora de dormir' is the natural way to say bedtime.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
En punto
On the dot / O'clock
Used to emphasize an exact hour.
La tarde
Afternoon / Evening
Used for times between lunch and sunset.
La noche
Night
Used for times after dark.
Empieza
Starts
From the verb 'empezar'.
Telling Time with 'Ser'
To state what time it is, use the verb 'ser'. Use 'Es la' for 1:00 and 'Son las' for hours 2 through 12.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1:00 | Es la una | Es la una en punto. |
| 2:00 - 12:00 | Son las [hour] | Son las cinco. |
Minutes and Quarters
Spanish speakers use 'y' (and) to add minutes up to the half hour, and 'menos' (minus) to subtract minutes from the next hour.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Quarter past | y cuarto | Las seis y cuarto (6:15). |
| Half past | y media | Las diez y media (10:30). |
| Quarter to | menos cuarto | Las nueve menos cuarto (8:45). |
More examples
¿A qué hora es la tarea?
What time is homework?
Asking for the time of an event.
Es a las cinco y diez.
It is at ten past five.
Using 'y' for specific minutes.
Son las ocho en punto, ¡a la cama!
It's eight o'clock sharp, to bed!
A typical phrase used by parents.