nueve y media
/nwebe i medja/from spelling rules
In Spanish, the phrase for nine thirty is nueve y media.
This phrase is used to express the time of day or night that is thirty minutes past nine.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to nine and a half, where nueve means nine and media means half.
Which one should you use?
While nueve y media is the most common way to say nine-thirty, nueve y treinta is a more literal, digital-style alternative used in formal or technical contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used with a preposition like 'at' (a las), the phrase must be preceded by the feminine plural article las because it refers to las horas (the hours).
Did you know?
- In some Latin American countries, if you are told an event starts at nueve y media, it may be understood as a flexible window of time rather than a strict appointment.
- The word media in this phrase is a direct descendant of the Latin word media, which is also the ancestor of the English word 'medium'.
- Because the phrase nueve y media relies on the feminine adjective media, it creates a grammatical gender agreement with the invisible word hora (hour).
Examples in context
- Son las nueve y media.It's nine-thirty.This sentence is useful for stating what time it is using nueve y media.Tatoeba #2151751 by Shishir, translation #1057913 by human600
- No hay servicio de autobús después de las nueve y media.There is no bus service after nine-thirty.This sentence shows how to use nueve y media when describing the availability of a service.Tatoeba #1685893 by teskmon, translation #72275 by CK
- Se sirve la cena a las nueve y media.Supper is served at nine-thirty.This sentence demonstrates using nueve y media to indicate when an event like supper is served.Tatoeba #462483 by lukaszpp, translation #462482 by lukaszpp
- Nueve y media.Nine thirty.
- El examen comenzará a las nueve y media.The exam will start at nine thirty.
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are deciding when to meet for a movie.
- Sofía¿A qué hora empieza la película?What time does the movie start?
- AlejandroEmpieza a las nueve y media.It starts at nine thirty.
- SofíaPerfecto, nos vemos a las nueve y media.Perfect, see you at nine thirty.
- AlejandroDe acuerdo, allí estaré.Okay, I'll be there.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries media, nueve, y, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
