hora
/ˈoɾa/feminine
The English phrase hour translates to Spanish as hora.
The word hora refers to a time period of sixty minutes. You can use the phrase hora en punto to say "hour on the dot" and the term hora canónica to refer to a "canonical hour" in certain ecclesiastical contexts. Additionally, the phrase a la hora de is used to mean "at the time of" or "when it comes to" doing something.
Meaning: time period of sixty minutes (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of hora is las horas.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈoɾa/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Because the English word "hour" starts with a vowel sound, English speakers often mistakenly use the masculine article un instead of the feminine una. Remember that hora is a feminine noun, so you should use una hora.
Did you know?
- The Spanish word hora shares a common root with the English word 'hour' because both descended from the Ancient Greek word ὥρᾱ, which originally referred to a season or a specific time of day.
- The term hora punta is the common way to say 'rush hour' in Spain, whereas hora pico is more frequently used in Latin American countries.
- In Spanish, the word hora can be used in the idiom a última hora to mean 'at the last minute', reflecting how the language conceptualizes the end of a time period.
Examples in context
- Es la hora pico.It's rush hour.This sentence is useful for identifying rush hour using hora.Tatoeba #2353139 by hayastan, translation #2249237 by CK
- ¿A qué hora nació?At what hour was she born?This sentence is useful for asking about the time of birth using hora.Tatoeba #981514 by Shishir, translation #509195 by blay_paul
- Me voy en una hora.I leave in an hour.This sentence is useful for stating a departure time in an hour using hora.Tatoeba #665772 by Shishir, translation #665649 by bluepie88
- Tenemos una hora para almorzar.We have one hour for lunch.
- Son las dos.It's two o'clock.
- Son las once y media.It's half past eleven.
- Son las nueve menos cuarto.It's a quarter to nine.
- Son las tres y cuarto.It's three fifteen.
- Son las ocho y media.It's eight thirty.
- Son las doce y veinte.It's twelve twenty.
- 361 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are meeting at a cafe.
- AlejandroHola Lucía, ¿esperaste mucho?Hi Lucía, did you wait long?
- LucíaNo, solo una hora.No, only one hour.
- AlejandroLo siento mucho, Lucía.I am very sorry, Lucía.
- LucíaNo pasa nada, Alejandro.It's okay, Alejandro.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hour” translations and entries hora, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hora, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
