siete y media
/sjete i medja/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'seven thirty' is translated into Spanish as siete y media.
siete y media is used to state that the time is half past seven.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is built from siete (seven), y (and) and media (half).
Which one should you use?
While siete y media is the most common way to say seven thirty, siete y treinta is also grammatically correct and is used in more formal or digital contexts.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, you can use siete y media to say seven thirty.
How does it change in a sentence?
When stating the time in a sentence, you must use the feminine plural article las before the hour, as seen in the form las siete y media.
Did you know?
- The word media is feminine because it refers to the hidden noun hora (hour), meaning it is 'half an hour'.
- While siete y media is used for 7:30, the Spanish word for 'half' changes gender when referring to other things, such as medio kilo for 'half a kilo'.
- The word siete is a distant relative of the English word 'seven' through a common ancestor called Proto-Indo-European.
Examples in context
- Eran las siete y media.It was seven thirty.This sentence is useful for showing how to state a past time using siete y media.Tatoeba #2181921 by marcelostockle, translation #264925 by CK
- El avión salió de Galeão a las seis y llegó a Brasilia a las siete y media.The airplane left Galeão at six and arrived at Brasilia at seven-thirty.This sentence is useful for describing an arrival time using siete y media.Tatoeba #3027780 by alexmarcelo, translation #10115686 by DJ_Saidez
- Son las siete y media, así que debemos salir en cinco minutos.It's seven thirty, so we should leave in five minutes.
- La clase empieza a las siete y media.The class starts at seven thirty.
Example conversation
María and Mateo are checking the schedule for a movie.
- María¿A qué hora es la película, Mateo?What time is the movie, Mateo?
- MateoEs a las siete y media.It is at seven thirty.
- MaríaPerfecto, entonces nos vemos pronto.Perfect, then see you soon.
- MateoVale, te espero en el cine.Okay, I will wait for you at the cinema.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries media, siete, y, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
