seis y cuarenta
/seis i kwaɾenta/from spelling rules
The English phrase "six forty" is translated into Spanish as seis y cuarenta.
This is a way to tell the time when it is forty minutes past six.
Which one should you use?
While seis y cuarenta is a direct way to say the time, it is more common in many Spanish-speaking regions to say veinte para las siete (twenty to seven) when using the 12-hour clock.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using this phrase to state what time it is, you must precede it with the definite article las because horas is feminine and plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/seis i kwaɾenta/
Did you know?
- Another popular way to express this time is siete menos veinte, which literally treats the time as a subtraction problem meaning 'seven minus twenty'.
- The word cuarenta shares a common ancestor with the English word 'quadrillion' and 'quarter', as both stem from the same Latin root for 'four'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, people often use the 24-hour clock for official schedules, so you might hear 'las dieciocho cuarenta' for 6:40 PM instead of the 12-hour version.
Examples in context
- Son las seis y cuarenta.It is six forty.
- El tren sale a las seis y cuarenta.The train leaves at six forty.
- Son las seis y cuarenta de la mañana.It is six forty in the morning.
- La cita es a las seis y cuarenta.The appointment is at six forty.
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are checking the time before a bus arrives.
- Javier¿A qué hora llega el autobús, Elena?What time does the bus arrive, Elena?
- ElenaLlega a las seis y cuarenta.It arrives at six forty.
- JavierEntonces todavía tenemos un poco de tiempo.Then we still have a little time.
- ElenaSí, Javier, no hay prisa.Yes, Javier, there is no rush.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuarenta, seis, y, CC BY-SA 4.0.
