Section 6.2 · One hour uses es la una — all other hours use son las… — add minutes with y, subtract with menos
To ask for the time, the standard phrase is: ¿Qué hora es? When you answer, the structure depends on whether the hour is one or anything higher. For one o'clock, use the singular verb and article: Es la una. For all other hours (2–12), use the plural verb and article: Son las dos, Son las tres…
To express minutes, Spanish uses two words: y (and) to add minutes past the hour, and menos (minus) to count down to the next hour. Times of day replace AM/PM with descriptive phrases: de la mañana, de la tarde, de la noche, and de la madrugada.
| Spanish Phrase | English Translation | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| En punto | O'clock / Sharp | Exact hour with no minutes added |
| Y cuarto | Quarter past (:15) | Adding 15 minutes to the hour |
| Y media | Half past (:30) | Adding 30 minutes to the hour |
| Menos cuarto | Quarter to (:45) | Subtracting 15 minutes from the next hour |
| Mediodía | Noon | 12:00 PM — used instead of "las doce del día" |
| Medianoche | Midnight | 12:00 AM — used instead of "las doce de la noche" |
Since the number one is singular, you use the singular form of the verb and the singular article. The complete formula is: Es la una (for the hour itself) or Es la una y [minutes] (for times after 1:00). The word una is feminine because the Spanish word for hora (hour) is feminine — so all time expressions use feminine articles (la, las). This is the only time expression that uses es and la. Every other hour uses son las.
For any hour from 2 to 12, you use the plural verb son and the plural article las. This is because there are multiple hours on a clock — the plural refers to the hours (las horas). The formula is: Son las + hour number + (minutes if needed). Notice that the article is always las (feminine plural) — never los — because hora is feminine. When giving appointment times, the preposition a is added: a las nueve, a las dos y media.
To add minutes, use the word y (and) followed by the number of minutes: Son las cuatro y veinte (4:20). The special expressions y cuarto (quarter past, :15) and y media (half past, :30) are used instead of y quince and y treinta in everyday speech. To express time before the next hour (like "ten to five"), use menos (minus) followed by the minutes: Son las cinco menos diez — you are naming the coming hour and subtracting. Menos cuarto = quarter to (15 minutes before).
Spanish does not typically use AM or PM in casual conversation. Instead, you add the specific part of the day to the time for clarity. These phrases come after the complete time expression: Son las siete de la mañana, Es la una de la tarde. The boundary times matter: de la tarde begins at noon and runs until around 6 or 7 PM (sunset). De la madrugada is the least obvious — it covers the early morning hours from midnight to sunrise, the hours most English speakers would call "in the middle of the night."
When you want to know when an event happens, you ask: ¿A qué hora…? The answer must also begin with the word a (at) — this preposition is never dropped in Spanish time expressions. The full answer structure is: a las + hour (+ minutes + time of day). For one o'clock: a la una. This ¿A qué hora? structure is one of the most-used phrases in daily professional life — scheduling meetings, confirming appointments, asking about opening hours.
Listen to each sentence in Spanish, then repeat aloud during the countdown pause.
Every sentence contains a time expression. As you listen, identify whether the sentence uses es la una (singular) or son las (plural). Sentences 1–5 practice the es la una pattern. Sentences 6–10 practice son las. Sentences 11–15 drill y and menos patterns. Sentences 16–20 add times of day (mañana, tarde, noche, madrugada). Sentences 21–25 practice the ¿A qué hora? structure.
Step 1 — Listen: The Spanish sentence plays automatically. Notice the verb — es or son — and the article — la or las. This signals whether it is one o'clock or another hour.
Step 2 — Repeat: During the 4-second countdown, say the complete sentence aloud — feel the time expression as a flowing unit: verb + article + hour + minutes + time of day.
Step 3 — Adjust: Use the Speed and Volume sliders to find your ideal practice pace.
Always say the verb first: Train yourself to immediately say es or son the moment you see a clock. For 1:xx → es la una. For everything else → son las. Make this automatic before adding minutes.
Practice the menos calculation: When you see a time like 6:45, train yourself to think "seven minus fifteen" → son las siete menos cuarto. Say the upcoming hour first, then subtract. Sentences 13–15 give you practice with this reverse thinking.
Memorize the four time-of-day phrases as a set: mañana · tarde · noche · madrugada. Sentences 16–20 cycle through all four — notice which phrases pair with which clock times.
Choose the correct answer. 20 questions drawn randomly from a pool of 25.