siete y cuarenta
/sjete i kwaɾenta/from spelling rules
In Spanish, seven forty is expressed as siete y cuarenta.
This is a way to state the time when it is forty minutes past seven o'clock.
Which one should you use?
While siete y cuarenta is the literal way to say seven forty, many Spanish speakers also use veinte para las ocho (twenty to eight) to express the same time.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Veinte para las ocho is a common way to express 7:40 in some regions. Additionally, some countries may use siete y cuarenta instead of siete cuarenta.
How does it change in a sentence?
When stating the time in a complete sentence, you must use the feminine plural article las before the hour, resulting in las siete y cuarenta.
Did you know?
- The word siete is a cognate of the Ancient Greek word heptá, which is why English uses 'heptagon' for a seven-sided shape instead of 'septagon'.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, instead of saying siete y cuarenta, people use las ocho menos veinte, which literally means 'eight minus twenty'.
- In many Latin American countries, the phrase veinte para las ocho is used, but in Spain, the preposition para ('for') is less common than using menos ('minus').
Examples in context
- Son las ocho menos veinteIt is twenty minutes before eight
- Son las siete y cuarenta.It is seven forty.
- El tren sale a las siete y cuarenta.The train leaves at seven forty.
- Tengo una cita a las siete y cuarenta.I have an appointment at seven forty.
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are discussing their meeting time.
- Sofía¿A qué hora nos vemos mañana?What time shall we meet tomorrow?
- AlejandroQuedemos a las siete y cuarenta.Let's meet at seven forty.
- SofíaEstá bien, Alejandro.That is fine, Alejandro.
- AlejandroPerfecto, nos vemos entonces.Perfect, I will see you then.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuarenta, siete, y, CC BY-SA 4.0.
