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How to say “what time is it” in Spanish
“¿Qué hora es?” asks for the current time. The answer uses “es la” for one o'clock and “son las” for every other hour: “es la una”, “son las dos”, “son las tres y media”.
In Spanish
¿Qué hora es?
What time is it?
Say it: keh OH-rah ehs
Other ways to say “what time is it”
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¿Tiene hora?
Do you have the time?
Polite, asking a stranger; informal: ¿tienes hora?.
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¿Me puede decir la hora?
Can you tell me the time?
Polite and clear.
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Es la una
It's one o'clock
Singular for one o'clock.
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Son las tres y media
It's half past three
Y media = half past, y cuarto = quarter past, menos cuarto = quarter to.
Example sentences
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Perdone, ¿qué hora es? — Son las cinco.
Excuse me, what time is it? — It's five o'clock.
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¿A qué hora empieza la película?
What time does the film start?
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Son las ocho menos cuarto.
It's a quarter to eight.
How to reply
Son las...
It's ... o'clock
Good to know
- “¿A qué hora...?” asks at what time something happens: “¿a qué hora es la cena?” (at what time is dinner?).
- In Spain and much of Latin America the 24-hour clock appears on timetables: 18:30 is “las dieciocho treinta”.
Questions about “what time is it” in Spanish
How do you say “what time is it” in Spanish?
“what time is it” in Spanish is “¿Qué hora es?” (What time is it?). It is pronounced keh OH-rah ehs. You can also say “¿Tiene hora?”, “¿Me puede decir la hora?”, “Es la una”.
How do you pronounce “¿Qué hora es?”?
“¿Qué hora es?” sounds like keh OH-rah ehs. The capital letters mark the stressed syllable. Tap the speaker on this page to hear it.
What are other ways to say “what time is it” in Spanish?
“¿Tiene hora?” (Do you have the time?): polite, asking a stranger; informal: ¿tienes hora?. “¿Me puede decir la hora?” (Can you tell me the time?): polite and clear. “Es la una” (It's one o'clock): singular for one o'clock. “Son las tres y media” (It's half past three): y media = half past, y cuarto = quarter past, menos cuarto = quarter to.
How do you reply to “¿Qué hora es?”?
A natural reply is “Son las...” (It's ... o'clock).
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