hora
clock time
Spanish splits "time" in three. In Mexico you say hora for clock time, tiempo for duration or free time, and vez for an occasion, as in una vez.
Meaning: clock time and duration (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mexican | Note |
|---|---|
| hora | clock time |
| tiempo | duration, weather |
| vez | occasion |
To ask the time say ¿Qué hora es? To say you are busy say No tengo tiempo. To say "three times" say tres veces.
Which one should you use?
Tiempo also means "weather" and grammatical tense, so context decides. Hace buen tiempo means "the weather is nice".
Did you know?
- Mexicans say Son las siete y cuarto for 7:15 and las ocho menos cuarto for 7:45.
Examples in context
- ¿Qué hora es?What time is it?
- No tengo tiempo hoy.I do not have time today.
- Lo vi una sola vez.I saw it only one time.
Example conversation
Sofía asks her friend Iván for the time outside a movie theater in Mexico City.
- SofíaPerdón, ¿qué hora es?Excuse me, what time is it?
- IvánSon las siete y cuarto.It is a quarter past seven.
- SofíaYa casi empieza la película.The movie is about to start.
- IvánSí, no hay mucho tiempo.Yes, there is not much time.
