dos y media
/dos i medja/from spelling rules
In Spanish, two thirty is said as dos y media.
The phrase is used to state that the time is half past two.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, dos y media translates to 'two and half'.
Which one should you use?
While dos y media is the most common way to say two-thirty, you can also use dos y treinta (two and thirty) in more formal or digital contexts.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, the full phrase Son las dos y media is commonly shortened to Las dos y media.
How does it change in a sentence?
When stating the time in a sentence, you must use the feminine plural article las before the phrase. To say 'at two-thirty', use the preposition a followed by the article las, as in a las dos y media.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, if you set a meeting for las dos y media, arriving exactly at that time might be seen as too early. It is often socially acceptable to arrive slightly after the stated time.
- The word media in dos y media is a feminine form because it refers back to the implicit word hora, meaning 'hour'.
- The English word 'two' has a distant cousin in the Spanish dos, as both descend from the Proto-Indo-European root *dwóh₁.
Examples in context
- Llegué a Kobe hacia las dos y media.I arrived in Kobe around two-thirty.This sentence shows how to use dos y media when talking about arriving around a certain time.Tatoeba #13869525 by Seael, translation #252529 by CN
- Tom llegó a su casa a las dos y media.Tom got home at two-thirty.This sentence demonstrates the use of dos y media to indicate a specific arrival time.Tatoeba #4998530 by don_ramon, translation #9004513 by mccarras
- El canto de la curruca capirotada puede oírse de dos a dos y media.The Eurasian blackcap's songs can be heard from two to two-thirty p.m.This sentence shows how to use dos y media to describe a time range between two points.Tatoeba #8026660 by Seael, translation #8026644 by marioo
- Son las dos y media.It is two thirty.
- Las dos y media.Two thirty.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are checking the time before a meeting.
- Elena¿Sabes qué hora es?Do you know what time it is?
- JavierSon las dos y media.It is two thirty.
- Elena¡Qué rápido pasa el tiempo!How time flies!
- JavierSí, tenemos que irnos.Yes, we have to go.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dos, media, y, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
