hora del día
/oɾa del dia/from spelling rulesfeminine
The English phrase "time of day" is translated into Spanish as hora del día.
hora del día is a feminine noun used to refer to the time according to the clock. Related time-based expressions include la mañana (the morning), la tarde (the afternoon) and la noche (the night). You can also specify time ranges such as desde las seis hasta las doce (from six to twelve), desde el mediodía hasta las seis (from noon to six) and desde las seis hasta la medianoche (from six to midnight).
Meaning: time according to the clock (noun)
When do people say it?
In Spain, people tend to have a later dinner time, commonly around 9 or 10 pm.
Did you know?
- The Spanish word hora shares a direct lineage with the Ancient Greek word hṓrā, which originally referred to a season or a fitting moment rather than just a clock measurement.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, saying a esta hora can imply a sense of indignation or surprise that something is happening so late or early.
- When asking for the hora, a Spanish speaker might use the verb tener to ask if someone 'has' the time, whereas English speakers 'tell' the time.
Examples in context
- Subieron a la pequeña habitación, donde todo se veía como antes. El viejo reloj iba haciendo "tictac, tictac", y las manecillas señalaban la hora del día, pero al pasar por la puerta de la habitación se dieron cuenta de que ambos eran adultos y se habían convertido en un hombre y una mujer.They went upstairs into the little room, where all looked just as it used to do. The old clock was going "tick, tick," and the hands pointed to the time of day, but as they passed through the door into the room they perceived that they were both grown up, and become a man and woman.Tatoeba #5822015 by albrusgher, translation #3754655 by Hybrid
- La luz cambia según la hora del día.The light changes depending on the time of day.
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel are discussing their work schedules.
- Elena¿A qué hora prefieres trabajar?What time do you prefer to work?
- DanielMe da igual la hora del día.The time of day is all the same to me.
- ElenaDaniel, yo necesito un horario fijo.Daniel, I need a fixed schedule.
- DanielEstá bien, buscaremos una solución.All right, we will find a solution.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “time of day” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries del, día, hora, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
