seis y cuarenta y cinco
/seis i kwaɾenta i θinko/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "six forty-five" is said as seis y cuarenta y cinco.
This phrase is used to state the time when it is forty-five minutes past six o'clock.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you are stating the time in a full sentence, you must add the definite article las before the hour, resulting in las seis y cuarenta y cinco.
How do you pronounce it?
/seis i kwaɾenta i θinko/
Did you know?
- While seis y cuarenta y cinco is correct, many Spanish speakers would say siete menos cuarto, which translates to 'seven minus a quarter'.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, the word cinco is a linguistic relative of the word ponche, which means 'punch' as in the drink.
- Because hours are treated as plural nouns in Spanish, the phrase must use the feminine article las to agree with the hidden word horas.
Examples in context
- Está bien, llegaré a las seis y cuarenta y cinco.Alright, I'll arrive at six forty-five.
- La cita es a las seis y cuarenta y cinco.The appointment is at six forty-five.
- El tren sale a las seis y cuarenta y cinco.The train leaves at six forty-five.
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are checking the time before a movie starts.
- Mateo¿Qué hora es, Sofía?What time is it, Sofía?
- SofíaSon las seis y cuarenta y cinco.It is six forty-five.
- Mateo¡Perfecto! Todavía tenemos tiempo.Perfect! We still have time.
- SofíaSí, la película empieza pronto.Yes, the movie starts soon.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cinco, cuarenta, seis, y, CC BY-SA 4.0.
