doce y cuarto
/doθe i kwaɾto/from spelling rules
In Spanish, twelve fifteen is expressed as doce y cuarto.
The phrase is used to state the time when it is fifteen minutes past twelve o'clock. You may also see or hear doce y quince used as a more literal way to state the time.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase doce y cuarto literally translates to 'twelve and a quarter'. Here, doce means 'twelve' and cuarto means 'quarter' or 'fifteen minutes'.
Which one should you use?
While doce y cuarto is the most common way to say twelve fifteen, doce y quince is also a correct, more literal way to state the time.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used in a full sentence to state the time, the phrase is typically preceded by the feminine plural article las, forming las doce y cuarto.
How do you pronounce it?
/doθe i kwaɾto/
Did you know?
- Spanish uses the plural feminine article las before doce y cuarto because it refers to the hidden word horas, meaning 'hours'.
- The word cuarto is used for both a 'quarter' of an hour and a 'room' in a house.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, people use the phrase un cuarto para la una to describe the time shortly before one o'clock, mirroring the 'quarter' logic.
Examples in context
- Son las doce y cuartoIt's twelve fifteen
- A las doce y quinceAt twelve fifteen
- ¿Qué hora es? Son las doce y cuarto.What time is it? It is twelve fifteen.
- ¿A qué hora es la cita? A las doce y cuarto.What time is the appointment? At twelve fifteen.
- Nos vemos a las doce y cuarto.We will see each other at twelve fifteen.
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are checking the time for a lunch date.
- Javier¿Qué hora es, Sofía?What time is it, Sofía?
- SofíaSon las doce y cuarto.It is twelve fifteen.
- Javier¡Perfecto, ya es hora de comer!Perfect, it is already time to eat!
- SofíaSí, vamos al restaurante.Yes, let's go to the restaurant.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuarto, doce, y, CC BY-SA 4.0.
