Spanish
Grade 3
15 min
Y media (Half past)
Introduce 'y media' (half past) and practice telling time with half past the hour.
What you'll learn
- Identify the Spanish word 'y media' (and a half) when spoken aloud in a simple sentence about time with 80% accuracy.
- Solve simple time-telling problems by matching analog clock faces showing 'half past' the hour to the corresponding digital time written in Spanish (e.g., 'dos y media' = 2:30) in 4 out of 5 attempts.
- Explain in simple terms (English is acceptable) what 'y media' means in relation to telling time, using pictures of clocks as visual aids.
Tutorial Preview
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify the phrase 'y media' as meaning 'half past' or ':30'.
Verbally state the time for any hour on the half-hour (e.g., 1:30, 2:30).
Write the time in Spanish using 'y media' when shown a clock at the half-hour.
Correctly answer the question '¿Qué hora es?' for times ending in :30.
Differentiate between using 'Es la una y media' and 'Son las [hour] y media'.
Match analog clocks showing the half-hour with the correct Spanish phrase.
What time do you eat lunch or have your favorite snack? 🥪 Let's learn how to say it's 'half past' the hour in Spanish so you never miss it!
In this lesson, we will learn the special Spanish phrase 'y media' to talk about wh...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
¿Qué hora es?The question you ask to find out the time. It means 'What time is it?'.A friend asks you, '¿Qué hora es?'
Es la...The phrase you use to start telling time, but ONLY for the 1 o'clock hour. It means 'It is...'.Es la una. (It is one o'clock.)
Son las...The phrase you use to start telling time for all hours EXCEPT one o'clock (from 2 to 12). It means 'It is...'.Son las dos. (It is two o'clock.)
yThe Spanish word for 'and'. We use it to connect the hour and the minutes.Son las dos y diez. (It is 2:10.)
mediaThe Spanish word for 'half'. When telling time, it means half an hour, or 30 minutes.The phrase 'y media' means 'and a half' or ':30'.
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Grammar Rules & Patterns
The 'Y media' Formula
(Es la / Son las) + [hour] + y media.
To say it's half past an hour, first say 'Es la' (for 1 o'clock) or 'Son las' (for all other hours). Then, say the number for the hour. Finish with the phrase 'y media'.
The One o'Clock Rule
Use 'Es la' ONLY for the 1 o'clock hour. Use 'Son las' for hours 2 through 12.
Think of 'una' (one) as being singular, so it uses the singular 'Es la'. All other hours are plural (dos, tres, etc.), so they use the plural 'Son las'.
4 more steps in this tutorial
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Challenging
A movie starts at "las cuatro y media." It is exactly two hours long. What time does the movie end?
A.Son las seis y media.
B.Son las cinco y media.
C.Son las seis.
D.Son las siete.
Challenging
You look at a clock. The small hour hand is exactly halfway between the 10 and the 11. The big minute hand is pointing directly at the 6. What is the most precise way to say this time in Spanish?
A.Son casi las once.
B.Son las diez y media.
C.Son las once y media.
D.Son las diez y seis.
Challenging
A TV show is 30 minutes long. It ends at 5:30 PM ("las cinco y media de la tarde"). What time did the show start?
A.las cuatro y media.
B.las seis.
C.las cinco.
D.las seis y media.
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Frequently asked questions
What grade level is "Y media (Half past)"?
Y media (Half past) is a Grade 3 Spanish lesson on ExcelOS.
What will I learn in Y media (Half past)?
You'll be able to: Identify the Spanish word 'y media' (and a half) when spoken aloud in a simple sentence about time with 80% accuracy; Solve simple time-telling problems by matching analog clock faces showing 'half past' the hour to the….
Is "Y media (Half past)" free to practice?
Yes. You can read the tutorial preview for free, and signing up for a free ExcelOS account unlocks the full tutorial and all practice questions with instant feedback.
How many practice questions are included with Y media (Half past)?
This lesson includes 27 practice questions across multiple difficulty levels, each with instant feedback and explanations.