Telling the time in Spanish (A1)

what is it?

Telling the time in Spanish uses the verb ser (to be) together with a feminine definite article and a number. The article is feminine because it agrees with the implied noun hora (hour). One o'clock is singular (es la una); all other hours are plural (son las tres). Minutes past the hour are added with y, and minutes before the next hour are expressed with menos. To schedule an event at a particular time, use the preposition a followed by the article and hour.

when to use it

Asking the time — use ¿Qué hora es? to ask «What time is it?»
Stating the current time — use es la una for 1:00 and son las + number for all other hours.
Adding minutes — attach y cuarto (quarter past), y media (half past), or any number of minutes after y. For minutes before the next hour, use menos + minutes (e.g. la una menos cuarto = quarter to one).
Scheduling an event — use a + la/las + hour to say when something happens (e.g. a las ocho = at eight o'clock).
Approximations — use a eso de las + hour to express «around» or «at about» a certain time.

formation

The basic pattern is: ser + article + hour (+ y/menos + minutes). The form of ser and the article depend on whether the hour is one or more than one.

hour	ser form	article	example	meaning
1:00	es	la	es la una	it is one o'clock
2:00 – 12:00	son	las	son las dos	it is two o'clock
1:15	es	la	es la una y cuarto	it is quarter past one
3:30	son	las	son las tres y media	it is half past three
1:45	es	la	es la una menos cuarto	it is quarter to one
4:40	son	las	son las cinco menos veinte	it is twenty to five

To schedule an event, place a before the article: a la una / a las tres. For approximations, insert eso de between a and the article: a eso de las dos.

examples in context

— ¿Qué hora es? — Son las tres y media.

— What time is it? — It is half past three.

Plural son las is used because the hour is not one; y media adds the half hour.

Es la una menos cuarto.

It is quarter to one.

Singular es la because the reference hour is one; menos cuarto subtracts fifteen minutes from the next hour.

La clase empieza a las ocho.

The class starts at eight o'clock.

The preposition a introduces the scheduled time; las is plural because the hour is eight.

Llego a eso de las dos.

I arrive at around two o'clock.

The phrase a eso de signals an approximation rather than an exact time.

common pitfalls

Plural with one o'clock. One o'clock is grammatically singular. *son la una is wrong; the correct form is es la una.
Singular with hours after one. All hours from two onwards require the plural. *es las tres is wrong; the correct form is son las tres.
Using en instead of a for scheduled times. Spanish uses a, not en, to express «at» a clock time. *la reunión es en las ocho is wrong; the correct form is la reunión es a las ocho.