¿a qué hora?
/a ˈke ˈoɾa/word by word
The English phrase "at what time" is translated into Spanish as ¿a qué hora?
¿a qué hora? is used to ask for the specific time that an event occurs. It is the most common and neutral way to ask "at what time" in Spanish.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the preposition a (at), the interrogative qué (what) and the noun hora (hour).
Which one should you use?
While ¿Cuándo? asks for a general time or date, ¿a qué hora? specifically asks for a precise clock time.
Is it said differently in some regions?
¿a qué hora? is used in Spain, Latin America and the Caribbean. In Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador, you may also hear ¿a qué horas?
How does it change in a sentence?
When used to start a sentence, the phrase must be preceded by an opening question mark: ¿a qué hora…?
How do you pronounce it?
/a ˈke ˈoɾa/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish speaking cultures, asking ¿a qué hora? for a social gathering may be met with a vague window of time rather than a precise minute. Arriving exactly at the stated hora can sometimes be seen as being too early.
- The word hora descends from the Ancient Greek ὥρᾱ, which originally referred to a 'season' or 'time of day' rather than a 60 minute block.
- The phrase can be used rhetorically to express frustration rather than seeking information. Saying ¿a qué hora piensas hacer eso? is less about the clock and more like saying 'when on earth' or 'when do you ever intend' to do something.
Examples in context
- ¿Ya llegaron?, ¿a qué hora?They already arrived? At what time?This sentence shows how to ask for the specific time after confirming arrival.Tatoeba #9193728 by arh, translation #9203806 by DJ_Saidez
- ¿Mañana por la tarde? ¿A qué hora?Tomorrow afternoon? At what time?This sentence shows how to ask for a specific time after a general time of day is mentioned.Tatoeba #12798625 by stebnbr, translation #12799683 by DJ_Saidez
- ¿Se fueron? ¿A qué hora?They left at what time?This sentence shows how to ask for the time when someone has left.Tatoeba #9178817 by carlosalberto, translation #9178429 by carlosalberto
- ¿A qué hora comienza la película esta noche?At what time does the movie start tonight?
- ¿A qué hora debo llegar a la fiesta?At what time should I arrive at the party?
- ¿A qué hora es la reunión con el gerente?At what time is the meeting with the manager?
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (a, qué, hora) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, hora, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
