This past week in group Spanish, we were practicing using ser vs. estar in professional contexts.

One important use of ser is for telling time like:

¿Qué hora es? – What time is it?

¿A qué hora es [la reunión]? – What time is the meeting at?

• la cita – the appointment
• la clase – the class
• la excursión – the field trip
• el taller – the workshop
• la charla – the talk
• el podcast – the podcast

I noticed that some of my beginner students were still struggling with telling time in Spanish, so here’s a quick cheat sheet for my community.

How to tell time in Spanish

Remember that when telling time, for It’s 1 o’clock, decimos (we say): Es la una.

For everything 2-24 (because many countries use military time) “son” is used.

Why? Well 1 is considered singular and the rest are plural.

If you want to say that something is AT a certain time you will add -A.

Por ejemplo: La reunión es a las dos de la tarde.

Notice how we are say the thing is at = es a las.

For 1 o’clock we will say Es a la una.

To add minutes, simply add “y” for “and” plus the number of minutes.

“El taller es a las tres y quince.”

For “y quince” you can also say “y cuarto”

For “y treinta” many people often say “y media”

Also notice how we say: “de la tarde” after time instead of “por la tarde” or “en la tarde”

Time is used all the time at work and during personal affairs to talk about meetings, events, dates, appointments, classes, and more.

Practicing saying the time correctly with clarity and speed will quickly help you start speaking with confidence.

Cheat Sheet

Some other ways to say it:

• La clase empieza (starts) a las tres y media (3:30) p.m. (said using the spanish alphabet) y termina (ends) a las cinco de la tarde.
• ¡Nos vemos a las once! – See you at 11!
• Ya son las dos, me tengo que ir. Tengo una cita a las tres. – It’s already 2, I have to go. I have an appointment at three (3).

Daily Micro-Habits for Busy Adults:

Do these while taking a quick coffee, tea, or brain break.

1. Take a quick moment to look at the time and say it on command. Keep practicing until you can say it faster and faster.
2. Look at your calendar and try saying: La reunión es a la(s) _____.
3. Take 10 minutes to write your schedule or routine out on paper in Spanish.
   1. Writing on paper helps build stronger connections in your brain and helps with word flow that will translate to speaking skills.
4. Write 10 times in numerical form on 10 flashcards and practice rapid recall by randomly choosing a flashcard and saying it as quickly as possible.

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Grab the Practice Workbook

If you would like a structured, complete guide with vocabulary sheets, QR codes to quizlet flashcards, notes, reading and writing practice activities, and example conversations, grab it below.

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