once y treinta y cinco
/onθe i tɾeinta i θinko/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'eleven thirty-five' is translated into Spanish as once y treinta y cinco.
This phrase is used to state the time when it is thirty-five minutes past eleven o'clock. To specify the time of day, you can add de la mañana for 'in the morning' or de la noche for 'at night'. For example, to say 'eleven thirty-five in the morning', you would say Son las once y treinta y cinco de la mañana.'
Which one should you use?
While once y treinta y cinco is a direct way to state the time, it is common in many Spanish-speaking regions to use the colloquial form las doce menos veinticinco, which literally means 'twelve minus twenty-five'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The expression las doce menos veinticinco is a common/colloquial way to express this time in many Spanish-speaking regions.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used to denote a specific time of day, the phrase is preceded by the feminine plural article las because the implied noun is las horas (the hours).
How do you pronounce it?
/onθe i tɾeinta i θinko/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the hour once is associated with eating snacks, as it was traditionally the time for a mid-morning treat.
- The word once is a linguistic 'false friend' for English speakers. While it sounds like the English word 'once', in Spanish it actually means the number 'eleven'.
- The word treinta comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *tri(d)ḱomt, which is the ancient ancestor of the word 'thirty'.
Examples in context
- Son las once y treinta y cinco.It is eleven thirty-five.
- La cita es a las once y treinta y cinco.The appointment is at eleven thirty-five.
- El tren sale a las once y treinta y cinco.The train leaves at eleven thirty-five.
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are checking the schedule for a bus.
- Lucía¿A qué hora sale el autobús?What time does the bus leave?
- AlejandroSale a las once y treinta y cinco.It leaves at eleven thirty-five.
- LucíaEntonces tenemos poco tiempo.Then we don't have much time.
- AlejandroSí, debemos irnos ya.Yes, we must go now.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cinco, once, treinta, y, CC BY-SA 4.0.
