un cuarto para
/un kwaɾto paɾa/from spelling rules
The English phrase "a quarter till" is expressed in Spanish as un cuarto para.
This phrase is used to indicate that there are fifteen minutes remaining before a specific hour.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of un cuarto, meaning "one fourth" or "a quarter" and para, meaning "for", "to" or "towards".
Which one should you use?
While English uses "till" or "to" to indicate the approaching hour, Spanish uses para. For example, you would say un cuarto para las [hora to mean "a quarter to [hour]".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In many Spanish-speaking regions, particularly in Spain, menos cuarto (literally "minus a quarter") is a common alternative to un cuarto para.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to one o'clock, you must use the singular article la instead of the plural las, as seen in the phrase un cuarto para la una.
How do you pronounce it?
/un kwaɾto paɾa/
Did you know?
- The word cuarto is used for both a quarter of an hour and a room in a house. This is because houses were historically divided into four or five sections.
- Depending on the country, you might hear un cuarto para or cuarto para without the article un. This regional variation in grammar does not change the meaning of the phrase.
Examples in context
- Faltan quince para las siete.It's fifteen minutes till seven.
- Son las siete menos cuarto.It's a quarter till seven.
- Faltan quince minutos para las tres.It's a quarter till three.
- Son las once menos cuarto.It's a quarter till eleven.
- Faltan quince para las nueve de la noche.It's a quarter till nine in the evening.
- Son las cinco menos cuarto de la mañana.It's a quarter till five in the morning.
- Faltan quince minutos aproximadamente para las dos.It's approximately a quarter till two.
- Es un cuarto para las tres.It is a quarter till three.
- Falta un cuarto para las diez.It's a quarter till ten.
- Llegaremos un cuarto para las doce.We will arrive a quarter till twelve.
Example conversation
Mateo and María are checking the time before a movie starts.
- Mateo¿Qué hora es, María?What time is it, María?
- MaríaEs un cuarto para las seis.It is a quarter till six.
- Mateo¡Rápido, tenemos que irnos!Quick, we have to go!
- MaríaSí, la película empieza pronto.Yes, the movie starts soon.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuarto, para, un, CC BY-SA 4.0.
