once y cincuenta
/onθe i θinkwenta/from spelling rules
The English phrase "eleven fifty" is expressed in Spanish as once y cincuenta.
once y cincuenta is a way to state the time when it is ten minutes before twelve o'clock. To specify that it is 11:50 PM rather than AM, you add de la noche to the end.
Which one should you use?
While once y cincuenta is mathematically correct, it is very common to express this time as las doce menos diez (twelve minus ten).
How does it change in a sentence?
When stating the time in a full sentence, the phrase is preceded by the feminine plural article las because 'horas' (hours) is feminine and plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/onθe i θinkwenta/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, the word once is used as a noun meaning 'snack' or 'afternoon tea' because people traditionally ate a light meal at 11 am.
- The word once shares the same Latin root 'ūndecim' as the English number 'undecillion'.
- The pronunciation of the 'c' in once changes entirely based on geography, sounding like a 'th' in Spain but an 's' in Latin America.
Examples in context
- La reunión comienza a las once y cincuenta.The meeting starts at eleven fifty.
- Nos vemos a las once y cincuenta en punto.Let's meet at exactly eleven fifty.
- El tren sale a las once y cincuenta.The train leaves at eleven fifty.
- Tengo una cita a las once y cincuenta.I have an appointment at eleven fifty.
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are checking the time before a meeting.
- Elena¿Qué hora es, Alejandro?What time is it, Alejandro?
- AlejandroSon las once y cincuenta.It is eleven fifty.
- Elena¡Oh, casi es la hora de la reunión!Oh, it's almost time for the meeting!
- AlejandroSí, tenemos que irnos ya.Yes, we have to go now.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cincuenta, once, y, CC BY-SA 4.0.
