Spanish · A1 · Everyday language
What time is it? in Spanish
Learning to tell the time and discuss daily schedules is a foundational skill for parents. It helps you guide your child through their morning, school, and bedtime routines using simple Spanish structures.
What you'll learn
- Ask for the time correctly
- Identify hours and half-hours
- Describe when daily activities occur using 'at'
Spanish phrases for what time is it?
¿Qué hora es?
What time is it?
The most common way to ask for the time.
Son las siete.
It is seven o'clock.
Use 'Son las' for all hours except one o'clock.
Son las ocho y media.
It is half past eight.
'Media' translates to 'half'.
Nos levantamos a las siete.
We get up at seven.
'A las' is used to say 'at' a specific time.
El almuerzo es a las doce.
Lunch is at twelve.
Use 'es a las' to state when a specific event happens.
Es tarde.
It is late.
A very useful phrase for busy mornings!
En cinco minutos.
In five minutes.
Great for giving your child a countdown.
Es hora de ir a la cama.
It is time for bed.
Literally 'It is the hour of going to the bed'.
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
Media
Half
Used after the hour, e.g., 'y media'.
En punto
O'clock / Exactly
Used to specify that it is exactly on the hour.
Tarde
Late / Afternoon
In this context, it means 'late' (adverb).
Telling Time with 'Ser'
Spanish uses the verb 'ser' (to be) to tell time. Because 'hours' are plural, we use 'Son las' for 2 through 12. Only 1:00 uses the singular 'Es la'.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1:00 | Es la una | Es la una y media. |
| 2:00 - 12:00 | Son las [número] | Son las cuatro. |
| At a time | A las [número] | A las cinco merendamos. |
More examples
¿Qué hora es? Son las nueve.
What time is it? It's nine.
¡A la cama! Es tarde.
To bed! It's late.
La cena es a las seis y media.
Dinner is at six thirty.