hora de la merienda
/oɾa de la meɾjenda/from spelling rules
In Spanish, snack time is expressed as hora de la merienda.
This phrase refers to a scheduled time of day for eating a light meal or snack between main meals. In many Spanish-speaking cultures, la merienda specifically refers to a light meal eaten in the late afternoon, typically between lunch and dinner.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of hora (hour/time), de la (of the) and merienda (afternoon snack).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In central Mexico, you might hear Es la hora de la botana when referring to snack time.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun merienda can be turned into the verb merendar, which means to eat a snack in the afternoon.
How do you pronounce it?
/oɾa de la meɾjenda/
Did you know?
- The word hora is a direct descendant of the Latin hōra, which was borrowed from the Ancient Greek hṓrā.
- In Spain, la merienda is used to bridge the gap until dinner, which is often eaten much later in the evening than in English-speaking countries.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, la merienda is a vital social ritual for children that often involves drinking chocolate and eating bread.
Examples in context
- Estoy hambriento, ¿es hora de la merienda?I'm hungry, is it snack time?
- ¡Vamos a hacer una merendita rica con galletas y leche caliente!Let's have a delicious snack with cookies and warm milk!
- ¿Es la hora del aperitivo? Me encantaría probar esos bocadillos.Is it snack time? I'd love to try those snacks.
- Ya es la hora de la merienda.It is already snack time.
- Los niños esperan la hora de la merienda.The children are waiting for snack time.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are at home in the afternoon.
- AlejandroElena, ¿ya es la hora de la merienda?Elena, is it snack time yet?
- ElenaSí, Alejandro, podemos comer algo ahora.Yes, Alejandro, we can eat something now.
- AlejandroPerfecto, tengo mucha hambre.Perfect, I am very hungry.
- ElenaYo también, voy a preparar unas galletas.Me too, I'm going to prepare some cookies.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, hora, la, merienda, CC BY-SA 4.0.
