y media
/i medja/from spelling rules
The phrase half past the hour in Spanish is y media.
The phrase y media is used to indicate the half-hour mark after a specific hour.
What does it mean word for word?
In this context, the word media literally means half.
Did you know?
- The word media shares its Latin root with the English word 'mediocre', which originally meant 'being in the middle' or 'average'.
- In some Latin American countries, people may say menos cuarto for quarter-to, but they almost always stick to y media for the half-hour, never saying menos media.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, if you are talking about a specific duration rather than a time of day, you would use media hora instead of y media.
Examples in context
- Son las tres y media.It is 3:30.
- La clase empieza a las diez y media.The class starts at half past ten.
- Nos vemos a las siete y media.We'll see each other at half past seven.
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are checking the time to meet for dinner.
- Elena¿A qué hora es la cena?What time is dinner?
- JavierEs a las ocho y media.It is at half past eight.
- ElenaPerfecto, llegaré puntual.Perfect, I will arrive on time.
- JavierTe veo allí entonces.I'll see you there then.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries media, y, CC BY-SA 4.0.
