cuánto tiempo
/ˌkwanto ˈtjempo/
The English phrase "how much time" is translated into Spanish as cuánto tiempo.
This phrase is used to ask about the duration of an event or to inquire about the amount of time available. You can use the structure ¿Cuánto tiempo hace que…? as a standard way to ask how long it has been since a specific event occurred. Additionally, the phrase en qué intervalo de tiempo can be used to mean "in what time frame". In informal settings, you may hear the phrase ¿Cuánto tiempo llevas…? to ask how long someone has been engaged in a particular activity or job.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of cuánto, which means "how much" and tiempo, which means "time".
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌkwanto ˈtjempo/
Did you know?
- While tiempo means 'time' in the phrase cuánto tiempo, it is also the primary Spanish word for 'weather'.
- When you run into an old friend, you can exclaim ¡Cuánto tiempo! as a way of saying 'Long time no see'. It functions more as an idiomatic greeting than a literal question about duration.
- The word tiempo shares the same ancient Indo-European root as the English word 'temperature'.
Examples in context
- ¿Cuánto tiempo te queda?How much time do you have left?This sentence is useful for asking how much time someone has left using cuánto tiempo.Tatoeba #9518849 by hayastan, translation #9299877 by Nylez
- ¿Cuánto tiempo hasta la cena?How much time before dinner?This sentence is useful for asking how much time remains before dinner using cuánto tiempo.Tatoeba #1200352 by cueyayotl, translation #1200183 by belgavox
- ¿Cuánto tiempo pasas en Facebook?How much time do you spend on Facebook?This sentence is useful for asking about the amount of time spent on a platform using cuánto tiempo.Tatoeba #1360745 by Shishir, translation #909526 by CK
- ¿Cuánto tiempo durará la reunión?How much time will the meeting last?
- ¿Cuánto tiempo dura este concierto?How much time does this concert last?
- ¿Cuánto tiempo se tarda en llegar al aeropuerto desde aquí?How much time does it take to get to the airport from here?
- ¿Cuánto tiempo llevas estudiando español?How long have you been studying Spanish?
- ¿Hace cuánto tiempo te mudaste a esta ciudad?How long ago did you move to this city?
- ¿Cuánto tiempo llevas esperando el autobús?How long have you been waiting for the bus?
- ¿Cuánto tiempo dura la película?How long does the movie last?
- ¿Cuánto tiempo se tarda en cocinar esta receta?How much time does it take to cook this recipe?
- ¿Cuánto tiempo llevas trabajando en esta empresa?How long have you been working in this company?
- ¿Hace cuánto tiempo estudias ballet?How long have you been studying ballet?
- ¿Hace cuánto tiempo te graduaste de la universidad?How long ago did you graduate from college?
- 31 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are planning a trip to the museum.
- Sofía¿Cuánto tiempo tarda el tren hasta el museo?How much time does the train take to get to the museum?
- JavierTarda solo treinta minutos, Sofía.It only takes thirty minutes, Sofía.
- SofíaPerfecto, ¿y cuánto tiempo tenemos allí?Perfect, and how much time do we have there?
- JavierPodemos quedarnos toda la tarde.We can stay all afternoon.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cuánto tiempo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuánto, cuánto tiempo, tiempo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
