hora
/ˈoɾa/
The Spanish phrase hora means hour or time.
hora can mean a specific hour or a duration of an hour, and it is also used in the phrase ¿Qué hora es? to ask for the current time. To indicate a time on the hour, you can add en punto. In certain religious contexts, the term hora canónica is used to denote specific prayer times. The idiomatic phrase a la hora de is used to say 'when it comes to' or 'at the time of' doing something.
How does it change in a sentence?
hora is a feminine noun. The plural form is horas.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈoɾa/
Did you know?
- The term hora is used in the phrase hora loca, which in many Caribbean cultures refers to a high-energy, often chaotic, party segment involving costumes and music.
- In Spain, la hora de la comida usually refers to a meal eaten between 2 PM and 4 PM, which is much later than the typical English 'lunch hour'.
- The word hora is a cognate of the Greek word ὥρᾱ, which originally referred to a season or a specific time of the year.
Examples in context
- La reunión comenzará a la hora establecidaThe meeting will start at the scheduled hour
- El vuelo partirá a las nueve en punto, hora exactaThe flight will depart at exactly nine o'clock
- La cita es a las cinco en puntoThe appointment is at five o'clock sharp
- Quedamos a la hora acordada para tomar un caféWe meet at the agreed time to have a coffee
- Espérame una horitaWait for me for about an hour
- Llego a las cinco en puntoI'll arrive at five o'clock sharp
- La primera hora canónica es al amanecerThe first canonical hour is at dawn
- La hora del almuerzoThe lunch hour
- Las horas felicesThe happy hours
- Son las cuatro en puntoIt's four o'clock sharp
- Llegaremos a las nueve en puntoWe'll arrive at exactly nine o'clock
- ¿A qué hora empieza la película?At what time does the movie start?
- Tengo que trabajar una hora más.I have to work one more hour.
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are meeting at a cafe.
- DanielHola Lucía, ¿sabes qué hora es?Hi Lucía, do you know what time it is?
- LucíaSí, es la una de la tarde.Yes, it is one in the afternoon.
- DanielPerfecto, es la hora del almuerzo.Perfect, it is lunchtime.
- LucíaVamos a comer entonces.Let's eat then.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry hora, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hora, CC BY-SA 4.0.
