las nueve y veinte
/las nwebe i beinte/from spelling rules
The phrase for nine twenty in Spanish is las nueve y veinte.
This phrase is used to state the time when it is twenty minutes past nine o'clock.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is literally constructed as the nine and twenty.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the feminine plural article las because the implied noun is horas (hours). To say "it is nine twenty" in a complete sentence, you must use the verb ser in its plural form: son las nueve y veinte.
Did you know?
- The word veinte shares a common ancestor with the English word 'twenty' through the Proto-Indo-European root *h₁wih₁ḱm̥ti, which originally described a count of 'two tens'.
- While las nueve y veinte is standard, some regions use las nueve con veinte, replacing 'and' with 'with'.
- In a formal setting or a radio broadcast, you might hear las nueve horas veinte minutos, which avoids the word y entirely.
Examples in context
- Son las nueve y veinte.It is nine twenty.
- Las nueve y veinte.It's nine twenty.
- La clase empieza a las nueve y veinte.The class starts at nine twenty.
- El tren sale a las nueve y veinte.The train leaves at nine twenty.
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are checking the time before a meeting.
- Mateo¿Qué hora es, Sofía?What time is it, Sofía?
- SofíaSon las nueve y veinte.It is nine twenty.
- Mateo¡Estamos listos para la reunión!We are ready for the meeting!
- SofíaSí, vamos ahora.Yes, let's go now.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries las, nueve, veinte, y, CC BY-SA 4.0.
