siete y cuarto
/sjete i kwaɾto/from spelling rules
siete y cuarto is the Spanish way to say seven fifteen.
This phrase is used to state the time when it is fifteen minutes past seven o'clock. In this context, the word cuarto means 'quarter' and refers to the fifteen-minute interval.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'seven and a quarter'.
Which one should you use?
While siete y cuarto is the most common way to say seven fifteen, siete y quince is also correct and uses the literal number for fifteen.
How does it change in a sentence?
When stating the time in a full sentence, you must use the feminine plural article las before the number, resulting in las siete y cuarto.
Did you know?
- The word cuarto is used for both a 'quarter' of an hour and a 'room' in a house. This happens because rooms were traditionally one of four or five main sections of a home.
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, it is common to use cuarto for fifteen minutes, but you will never hear tres cuartos used to mean forty-five minutes past the hour.
- In some Latin American regions, people omit the y entirely to say siete quince, mimicking the way a digital clock is read.
Examples in context
- Son las siete y quince. La reunión comienza en quince minutos.It's seven fifteen. The meeting starts in fifteen minutes.
- Las siete y cuarto. La conferencia iniciará pronto.It's seven fifteen. The conference will start soon.
- Vamos a salir a las siete y quince. Espero verte allí.Let's leave at seven fifteen. I hope to see you there.
- Nos encontraremos a las siete y cuarto. No te retrases.We'll meet at seven fifteen. Don't be late.
- Son las siete y cuarto.It is seven fifteen.
- La clase es a las siete y cuarto.The class is at seven fifteen.
- Nos vemos a las siete y cuarto.See you at seven fifteen.
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are meeting for breakfast.
- Javier¿A qué hora quedamos?What time are we meeting?
- LucíaA las siete y cuarto.At seven fifteen.
- JavierMuy bien, allí estaré.Very well, I will be there.
- LucíaPerfecto, hasta luego.Perfect, see you later.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuarto, siete, y, CC BY-SA 4.0.
