Spanish
Grade 3
15 min
Menos cuarto (Quarter to)
Introduce 'menos cuarto' (quarter to) and practice telling time with quarter to the hour.
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify that the minute hand on the '9' of a clock means 'menos cuarto'.
Verbally say the time for any hour ending in :45 using the 'menos cuarto' structure.
Write the time in Spanish when they see a digital clock showing a time like 2:45 or 10:45.
Correctly answer the question '¿Qué hora es?' for any 'quarter to' time.
Differentiate between 'y cuarto' (quarter past) and 'menos cuarto' (quarter to).
Construct a simple sentence about a daily activity using a 'menos cuarto' time, such as 'La clase de español es a las diez menos cuarto.'
Your favorite pizza party starts at 5:45! How do you tell your friend in Spanish that it's almost time to eat? 🍕 Let's fin...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
MenosA Spanish word that means 'minus' or 'less'. In telling time, we use it to subtract minutes from the next hour.Diez menos cinco (Five minutes to ten).
CuartoA Spanish word that means 'quarter'. When we talk about time, it means a quarter of an hour, which is 15 minutes.Un cuarto de hora (A quarter of an hour).
Menos cuartoThis phrase literally means 'minus a quarter'. We use it to say it is 15 minutes UNTIL the next hour, or 'quarter to'.Son las tres menos cuarto. (It is a quarter to three / 2:45).
La hora siguienteThis means 'the next hour' or 'the following hour'. This is the most important idea for using 'menos cuarto'.If it is 2:45, la hora siguiente is 3:00.
El relojThe Spanish...
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Grammar Rules & Patterns
The 'Next Hour' Rule
When the time is XX:45, you must go to the NEXT hour and then say 'menos cuarto'.
Don't use the hour you see! Always jump forward to the next one. If you see 7:45, you need to think about the number 8.
The Time Formula for 'Menos Cuarto'
Son las + [NEXT HOUR] + menos cuarto.
Use this formula for all hours except for times approaching 1:00. For example, for 4:45, the next hour is 5. So, you say 'Son las cinco menos cuarto.'
The Special 'Es la una' Rule
Es la una menos cuarto.
When the time is 12:45, the 'next hour' is 1:00. Because 1 is a single hour, we must use 'Es la' instead of 'Son las'. This is the only time you use 'Es la' with 'menos cuarto&...
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Challenging
We start walking (nosotros caminamos) in the park at 5:00. We walk for 15 minutes, then we rest and eat a banana (un plátano). Then we walk for 30 more minutes. What time is it now?
A.Son las cinco y media.
B.Son las seis menos cuarto.
C.Son las seis en punto.
D.Son las cinco y cuarenta y cinco.
Challenging
In Spanish, when we say a time like 6:45 using the phrase "menos cuarto," which hour number must we use to say the time correctly?
A.The current hour (seis).
B.The previous hour (cinco).
C.The next hour (siete).
D.It does not matter which hour you use.
Challenging
A fun movie (una película divertida) starts at "siete y media" (7:30). The movie is 1 hour and 15 minutes long. What time does the movie end, expressed with "menos cuarto"?
A.Son las ocho y cuarenta y cinco.
B.Son las nueve menos cuarto.
C.Son las ocho menos cuarto.
D.Son las nueve y cuarto.
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