¿qué hora es?
To ask "what is the time" in Spanish, use ¿qué hora es?
The phrase is used to ask for the current time of day.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ¿qué hora es? literally translates to "what hour is (it)?"
Which one should you use?
Use ¿qué hora es? to ask for the current time. If you want to ask at what time a specific event occurs, you should instead use ¿a qué hora?
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, it is common to hear the expression ¿Qué horas son? used instead of ¿qué hora es?
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying ¿Qué tiempo es? to ask for the time of day. English speakers often make this error by using tiempo, but in Spanish, tiempo refers to duration or weather, whereas hora should be used for the time on a clock.
Did you know?
- The Spanish word hora shares a common ancestor with the English word 'year' through the Proto-Indo-European root for a cycle of time.
- In some Spanish-speaking contexts, asking ¿qué hora es? can be perceived as slightly more abrupt than using ¿Tiene hora?, which literally asks if the person 'has the time'.
Examples in context
- Son las tres y cuartoIt is a quarter past three
- Son las seis y mediaIt is half past six
- Son las nueve menos veinteIt is twenty minutes to nine
- ¿Qué hora es?What is the time?
- Disculpe, ¿qué hora es?Excuse me, what is the time?
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are waiting for a bus.
- JavierLucía, ¿qué hora es?Lucía, what is the time?
- LucíaSon las tres de la tarde.It is three in the afternoon.
- Javier¡Qué tarde es!It is so late!
- LucíaNo te preocupes, Javier.Don't worry, Javier.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries es, hora, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
