Introduction
Learning how to talk about time is one of the most practical skills for a Spanish beginner. This guide explains essential Spanish time words, simple sentences, and everyday examples you can use right away. Follow clear rules, useful vocabulary, and common mistakes to avoid so you can ask and tell time confidently.
Why time words matter for beginners
Time vocabulary appears in many daily situations: making plans, reading schedules, taking public transport, and talking about routines. Knowing core words and simple sentence patterns helps you communicate basic needs like appointment times, opening hours, and when to meet someone.
Key time vocabulary: days, months, times of day
Days of the week
lunes
martes
miércoles
jueves
viernes
sábado
domingo
Months
enero
febrero
marzo
abril
mayo
junio
julio
agosto
septiembre
octubre
noviembre
diciembre
Parts of the day
mañana (morning / tomorrow depending on context)
tarde (afternoon / evening)
noche (night)
mediodía (noon)
medianoche (midnight)
Basic phrases for asking and telling time
Common question forms
¿Qué hora es? — Use this to ask for the current time.
¿A qué hora…? — Use this to ask at what time something happens, for example ¿A qué hora empieza la película?
¿Cuándo? — Use this to ask when, for example ¿Cuándo es la reunión?
Common answers
Es la una. — For 1:00.
Son las dos. — For 2:00, 3:00, etc.
Es mediodía. — It is noon.
Es medianoche. — It is midnight.
How to say clock times in Spanish
Spanish uses the verb ser to tell the time. Use es for 1:00 and son for all other hours.
Es la una. (1:00)
Son las tres. (3:00)
Minutes past and to the hour
To express minutes use y for minutes after the hour and menos for minutes before the hour.
Son las cuatro y diez. — 4:10
Son las ocho y cuarto. — 8:15 (quarter past)
Son las nueve y media. — 9:30 (half past)
Son las cinco menos veinte. — 4:40, literally 5 minus 20
Es la una menos cinco. — 12:55
Using a.m. and p.m.
For clarity, beginners often add de la mañana, de la tarde, or de la noche.
Son las siete de la mañana. — 7:00 a.m.
Son las ocho de la noche. — 8:00 p.m.
Use de la tarde for the late afternoon to early evening, for example 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. depending on local usage.
Talking about schedules and routines
When describing routines, Spanish commonly uses the present tense. Include time words to make the routine clear.
Trabajo a las nueve. — I work at 9:00.
La clase empieza a las dos de la tarde. — The class starts at 2:00 p.m.
Desayuno por la mañana. — I have breakfast in the morning.
Common verbs and prepositions with time
a — Use a before exact times: La cita es a las tres.
en — Use en for parts of the day or months: En enero, en la tarde.
por — Use por la mañana/tarde/noche to indicate general time of day: Trabajo por la tarde.
desde… hasta… — Use to indicate period: La oficina está abierta desde las nueve hasta las cinco.
antes de / después de — Before/after: Llegué antes de las ocho. / Salgo después de las seis.
Dates and calendar phrases
Beginner-friendly ways to say dates include using el plus the day, followed by de and the month.
El 5 de marzo. — March 5th
Hoy es el 12 de octubre. — Today is October 12th
Mi cumpleaños es el 20 de julio. — My birthday is July 20th
Days relative to today
These are useful in conversations and messages.
hoy — today
mañana — tomorrow
ayer — yesterday
pasado mañana — the day after tomorrow
anoche — last night
Practical examples for everyday situations
Below are realistic short dialogues and signs you might encounter as a beginner. Use them to recognize patterns and practice speaking.
At a bus station
¿A qué hora sale el autobús a Puebla?
El autobús sale a las seis de la tarde.
Making an appointment
¿Puede venir el jueves a las tres?
Sí, nos vemos el jueves a las tres.
Restaurant reservation
Quisiera una mesa para cuatro a las ocho de la noche.
Perfecto, su mesa estará lista a las ocho.
Office hours sign
Horario: Lunes a viernes de 9:00 a 17:00.
Using time in messages and emails
Short messages often use concise time expressions. Practicing these helps with texting and simple formal emails.
Confirmación: Cita el martes a las 10:00.
Recordatorio: Clase mañana a las 18:30.
Common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them
Using ser vs. estar
Only use ser to tell the time: Es la una / Son las dos. Do not use estar for time.
Wrong article with la/las
Remember 1:00 uses la because una is feminine: Es la una. For other hours use las: Son las cinco.
Confusing mañana
mañana can mean morning or tomorrow. Use context or add de la mañana for morning and mañana alone for tomorrow. Example: Mañana voy = I go tomorrow. Por la mañana voy = I go in the morning.
Forgetting de la mañana/tarde/noche
If you omit a.m./p.m. in a message, it can cause confusion. Add de la mañana, de la tarde, or de la noche when necessary.
Using menos incorrectly
When saying times before the hour, subtract from the next hour: 6:50 = Son las siete menos diez, not Son las seis cincuenta in formal speech. Both are understood, but menos is common in spoken Spanish.
Practice tips for beginners
Label clocks and phones
Set your phone or a printable clock face with Spanish labels: una, dos, tres, etc. Practice saying the time out loud every hour.
Use simple daily routines
Create sentences about your day: Me despierto a las siete. Almuerzo a las doce. This reinforces vocabulary and grammar together.
Listen to short audio
Find beginner audio clips that announce times or schedules. Repeat after them and try to mimic rhythm and phrase order.
Short role-plays
Practice booking appointments or asking for schedules with a friend or language partner. Use the exact phrases from this article.
Quick reference cheat sheet
¿Qué hora es? — Ask the time
Es la una / Son las tres — Telling the time
y / menos / cuarto / media — After / before / quarter / half
de la mañana / de la tarde / de la noche — a.m. / p.m.
hoy / mañana / ayer / pasado mañana — Today / tomorrow / yesterday / day after tomorrow
Conclusion
Mastering basic Spanish time words gives you practical tools for everyday life: scheduling, traveling, and social plans. Focus on core vocabulary, correct use of es/son, and simple phrases like a las and por la mañana. Practice short, realistic examples until they feel natural, and you will quickly improve your confidence in Spanish time expressions.
