las ocho
/las ot͡ʃo/from spelling rules
In Spanish, eight o'clock is said as las ocho.
las ocho is used to refer to the time when the clock shows eight hours.
Which one should you use?
If you wish to specify that it is exactly eight o'clock (eight o'clock sharp), you can use the form las ocho en punto.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'at' a specific time, use the preposition a followed by the article and the hour, such as a las ocho.
How do you pronounce it?
/las otʃo/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the masculine article el ocho because they think of the number itself. However, you should use the feminine las because the article must agree with the feminine noun horas (hours) which is implied.
Did you know?
- To express that it is 'eight-something' without being precise, some speakers use the phrase las ocho y pico. The word pico literally means 'beak' or 'peak'.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, if a party is set for las ocho, arriving exactly at that time might be seen as too early. This reflects a cultural concept of 'social time' where guests are expected to arrive later.
- The word ocho is a linguistic cousin to the English 'eight', both descending from the Proto-Indo-European root *oḱtṓw.
Examples in context
- Despiérteme a las ocho.Wake me up at eight o'clock.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of las ocho to indicate a time for an action.Tatoeba #2269045 by Shishir, translation #2269044 by _undertoad
- Se va a la cama a las ocho.He goes to bed at eight o'clock.This sentence shows how to use las ocho to describe a daily routine.Tatoeba #2292040 by Shishir, translation #47532 by CK
- La obra es a las ocho en punto.The play is at eight o'clock.This sentence demonstrates using las ocho to state the time of an event.Tatoeba #1355699 by marcelostockle, translation #371412 by saeb
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and María are making plans for dinner.
- Javier¿A qué hora es la cena?What time is dinner?
- MaríaEs a las ocho.It is at eight o'clock.
- JavierPerfecto, nos vemos entonces.Perfect, see you then.
- MaríaVale, hasta luego, Javier.Okay, see you later, Javier.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries las, ocho, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
