Telling time
Use this exclusively for one o'clock.
Use this for all hours except one o'clock (e.g., Son las dos, Son las tres).
Used for 'quarter past' the hour (e.g., Son las dos y cuarto).
Used for 'half past' the hour (e.g., Es la una y media).
Used for 'quarter to' the next hour (e.g., Son las tres menos cuarto for 2:45).
For a beginner, telling time can be difficult.
It's 1:30. I'm hungry!
It's 3:15 in the afternoon.
The movie starts at a quarter to eight (7:45).
It's ten o'clock sharp. The store is closed.
In most of Latin America, it's common to use 'menos' for minutes before the hour (e.g., 'diez menos veinte' for 9:40). Reading the digital time literally ('nueve y cuarenta') is also common, especially among younger people.
While 'menos cuarto' is used, it's also very common to state the minutes past the hour, such as 'Son las ocho y cuarenta y cinco' for 8:45. The 24-hour clock ('las veinte horas' for 8 PM) is also used more frequently in formal settings than in Latin America.
The structure 'Faltan [minutos] para las [hora]' is extremely common. For 8:45, you'll often hear 'Faltan quince para las nueve' (Literally: '15 minutes are missing until 9').
The 'menos cuarto' structure is standard. You might also hear 'un cuarto para las...' (a quarter to...), which means the same thing. For example, 'un cuarto para las nueve' for 8:45.
Using 'son' for one o'clock, e.g., *Son la una.* — Correct: *Es la una.* Why: Because 'una' (one) is singular, you must use the singular verb 'es'. All other hours are plural and use 'son'.
Forgetting the article 'la' or 'las', e.g., *Es una* or *Son tres.* — Correct: *Es la una*, *Son las tres.* Why: When telling time, the hour is always preceded by the feminine definite article ('la' for one, 'las' for all others).
Confusing 'y' (and) and 'menos' (minus/to), e.g., saying *Son las siete menos diez* for 7:10. — Correct: *Son las siete y diez*. Why: Use 'y' for minutes after the hour (up to 30). Use 'menos' for minutes before the next hour (from 31 onward).
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