horas
/oɾas/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "clock times" is translated as horas.
The term refers to the specific points of time on a clock or the hours of the day. To state on-the-hour times, you can use the phrase Son las followed by the hour. For minutes between 1 and 30, you can use Son las followed by the hour, y and the number of minutes. In informal contexts, speakers may use media after the hour to signify "half" without using the word "past," such as in the expression Es la una y media for half-past one. To indicate a quarter past a specific hour, you can use Es la una y cuarto for example.
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular form hora refers to a single specific point in time or a single hour, while the plural horas refers to multiple points in time or a duration of hours. Use la hora when asking for the current time, such as in ¿Qué hora es? Note that horas is used to express duration, such as trabajé por dos horas, whereas la hora or specific time points are used to indicate when something happens.
How do you pronounce it?
/oɾas/
Did you know?
- The expression dar la hora literally means 'to give the hour', but it is used specifically to describe a clock chiming or striking the hour.
- When discussing time in a professional or formal setting, many Spanish speakers switch from the 12-hour system to a 24-hour system, often using 'horas' to clarify, such as 'las dieciséis horas' for 4:00 PM.
- In some Spanish speaking countries, the phrase la hora is used to refer to a specific mealtime, such as la hora de la comida for lunchtime, regardless of the actual clock time.
Examples in context
- Son las dos.It's 2 o'clock.
- Es la una y media.It's half past one.
- Son las dos y cuarto.It's quarter past two.
- Son las dos y diez.It's ten past two.
- Son las tres de la tarde.It is three in the afternoon.
- No recuerdo las horas exactas.I don't remember the exact hours.
- El tren pasa en horas fijas.The train passes at fixed hours.
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are planning a dinner.
- DanielLucía, ¿a qué horas cenamos hoy?Lucía, what time are we having dinner today?
- LucíaPodemos cenar a las ocho.We can have dinner at eight.
- DanielEstá bien, me gustan esas horas.That's fine, I like those times.
- LucíaPerfecto, nos vemos entonces.Perfect, I'll see you then.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
