¿a qué hora abren?
The English phrase 'what time do you open?' is translated into Spanish as ¿a qué hora abren?
This phrase is used to ask for the opening time of a business or establishment. The default form ¿a qué hora abren? uses the third-person plural to refer to the business or the staff as a collective group, which is the standard way to ask a business about its hours. You can also use the verb to ask about specific places, such as ¿A qué hora abre la tienda? for a store, ¿A qué hora abre el supermercado? for a supermarket or ¿A qué hora abre el museo? for a museum.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'at what hour do they open?'
Which one should you use?
While ¿a qué hora abren? is the standard way to address a business collectively, other forms can be used depending on whom you are addressing: ¿A qué hora abres? is used for a single person in an informal setting, whereas ¿A qué hora abre? is used when addressing a single person formally.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb used in these phrases is abrir, meaning 'to open'. The word abren is the third-person plural form of the verb, while abres is the second-person singular form. If you are speaking to a single person in an informal setting, you use the singular form ¿a qué hora abres? instead of the plural ¿a qué hora abren?
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, businesses might follow a 'siesta' schedule, meaning they close for several hours in the afternoon and reopen later in the evening.
- The word abrir is used for more than just doors. You use it for a bank account abrir una cuenta or even starting a conversation, blending the physical act of opening with the start of a process.
- The Spanish word hora comes from the Latin hōra, which was borrowed from the Ancient Greek word hṓrā.
Example conversation
Sofía is calling a local bakery to plan her visit.
- SofíaHola, buenas tardes. ¿A qué hora abren?Hello, good afternoon. What time do you open?
- DanielHola, Sofía. Abrimos a las ocho de la mañana.Hello, Sofía. We open at eight in the morning.
- SofíaPerfecto, gracias por la información.Perfect, thank you for the information.
- DanielDe nada. Nos vemos mañana.You're welcome. See you tomorrow.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, hora, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
