las doce y media
/las doθe i medja/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for half past twelve is las doce y media.
las doce y media is used here to denote the 30-minute mark, similar to 'half past' in English.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The expression las doce y media is widely used in Spain and Mexico, whereas in Argentina, it is common to use the phrase las doce y treinta to express half past twelve.
How does it change in a sentence?
When stating the time, you must use the plural verb son because the hour is plural (except for one o'clock). The form es la doce y media is grammatically incorrect because doce is plural and requires the feminine plural article las.
Did you know?
- The word media can also be used in Spanish to describe a 'media naranja', which literally means 'half orange' but refers to one's 'soulmate'.
- The plural article las in las doce y media is feminine because it refers to the hidden word horas, meaning 'hours'.
- The word doce descends from the Latin duodecim, which literally means 'two and ten'.
Examples in context
- Son las doce y media.It's half past twelve.Tatoeba #13385155 by glossboss, translation #13385121 by glossboss
- Nos vemos a las doce y media.See you at half past twelve.
- El tren sale a las doce y media.The train leaves at half past twelve.
Example conversation
María and Mateo are discussing their lunch appointment.
- María¿A qué hora es la cita?What time is the appointment?
- MateoEs a las doce y media.It is at half past twelve.
- MaríaPerfecto, allí estaré.Perfect, I will be there.
- MateoNo llegues tarde, María.Don't be late, María.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries doce, las, media, y, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
