�Qu� hora es?

Learning Objectives Ask 'What time is it?' in Spanish using '¿Qué hora es?'. Correctly differentiate between using 'Es la una' for the 1 o'clock hour and 'Son las...' for all other hours. Tell time on the hour (e.g., 2:00, 5:00) using 'en punto'. Tell time for the quarter-hour (e.g., 3:15, 10:15) using 'y cuarto'. Tell time for the half-hour (e.g., 4:30, 11:30) using 'y media'. Use the formula 'Son las [hour] y [minutes]' to state times up to 30 minutes past the hour. Do you know how to ask when it's time for lunch (el almuerzo) in Spanish? 🍕 Let's learn how to ask and tell the time so you never miss snack time! In this lesson, we will learn the magic question, '¿Qué hora es...

TermDefinitionExample ¿Qué hora es?The question you ask to find out the time. It means 'What time is it?'You ask your friend, '¿Qué hora es?' Es la unaThe special phrase used ONLY for 1 o'clock. It means 'It is one o'clock.'When the clock shows 1:00, you say, 'Es la una.' Son las...The phrase used for every hour EXCEPT 1 o'clock (from 2 to 12). It means 'It is...'For 3:00, you say, 'Son las tres.' en puntoThis means 'o'clock' or 'exactly on the hour.' You can add it to the end for emphasis.2:00 is 'Son las dos en punto.' y cuartoThis means 'and a quarter' or 'fifteen minutes past the hour.' It's a shortcut for saying 'y quince'.4:15 is 'Son...

The 'Es la una' Rule Es la una... Use 'Es la' only for the 1 o'clock hour. We use 'la una' because we are talking about 'la hora' (the hour), which is singular and feminine. The 'Son las' Rule Son las [hour]... Use 'Son las' for all other hours (2-12). We use 'Son las' because hours 2 through 12 are plural. Adding Minutes Formula Son las [hour] y [minutes]. To add minutes from 1 to 30, say the hour first, then the word 'y' (which means 'and'), then the number of minutes.