a qué hora es
/a ke oɾa es/from spelling rules
In Spanish, a qué hora es is used to say 'what time is' when asking when a specific event or appointment takes place.
Use this phrase to inquire about the scheduled time of an event, such as a flight, a meeting or a meal. It is important to note that this is not used to ask for the current time of day.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'at what hour is'.
Which one should you use?
While a qué hora es asks for the time of a specific event, the phrase ¿Qué hora es? is used to ask for the current time (What time is it?).
How do you pronounce it?
/a ke oɾa es/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using a qué hora es to ask for the current time of day. Instead, use ¿Qué hora es? for that purpose.
Did you know?
- When asking a qué hora es about a party, a guest might be told a time that is actually a 'suggestion', and arriving exactly at that hour could be seen as arriving too early.
- In some contexts, asking a qué hora es about a meal like dinner in Spain might lead to an answer as late as 9 or 10 PM, which is much later than in most English-speaking countries.
- The word hora is used in the phrase a la hora, which can mean 'immediately' or 'right away' rather than referring to a specific clock time.
Examples in context
- ¿A qué hora es el vuelo?What time is the flight?This sentence is useful for asking about the scheduled time of a flight using a qué hora es.Tatoeba #5581383 by Shishir, translation #5588395 by feyMorgaina
- ¿A qué hora es la reunión?What time is the meeting?This sentence is useful for asking about the scheduled time of a meeting using a qué hora es.Tatoeba #4727870 by Shishir, translation #4771427 by cairnhead
- ¿A qué hora es el almuerzo?What time is lunch?This sentence is useful for asking about the scheduled time of lunch using a qué hora es.Tatoeba #4308642 by marcelostockle, translation #2892630 by CK
- Perdón, ¿qué hora es?Excuse me, what time is it?
- Disculpe, ¿me podría decir qué hora es?Excuse me, could you tell me what time it is?
- Permiso, ¿me podría indicar la hora, por favor?Excuse me, could you please tell me the time?
- Oye, ¿qué hora tienes?Hey, what time is it?
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are talking about a concert.
- Alejandro¿A qué hora es el concierto?What time is the concert?
- LucíaEs a las ocho de la noche.It is at eight in the evening.
- Alejandro¿A qué hora es la apertura de puertas?What time is the door opening?
- LucíaEs a las siete.It is at seven.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
