Son las nueve
/son las nwebe/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'it is nine o'clock' is translated into Spanish as Son las nueve.
You use Son las nueve to state that the time is nine o'clock. To emphasize that it is exactly nine o'clock, you can add en punto to the phrase.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Son las nueve literally translates to 'They are the nine', which reflects the Spanish grammatical structure of treating hours as plural feminine nouns.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying Es las nueve. English speakers often mistakenly use the singular 'Es' instead of the plural 'Son' for any hour other than one.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, telling someone it is las nueve might imply a different starting time for a social event than in English-speaking countries.
- The word nueve comes from the Latin 'novem', which is also the ancestor of the English prefix 'non-' as seen in 'nonagenarian' for someone in their nineties.
Examples in context
- Son las nueve precisasIt is nine o'clock
- Son las nueve en punto.It is nine o'clock sharp.
- Mira el reloj, son las nueve.Look at the clock, it is nine o'clock.
- Lo siento, ya son las nueve.I am sorry, it is already nine o'clock.
Example conversation
Javier and María are checking the time before a meeting.
- Javier¿Sabes qué hora es?Do you know what time it is?
- MaríaSí, son las nueve.Yes, it is nine o'clock.
- Javier¡Qué rápido pasa el tiempo!How fast time passes!
- MaríaEs verdad, Javier.It is true, Javier.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries las, nueve, son, CC BY-SA 4.0.
