1.4 Telling Time
SER and Telling Time in Spanish
Present tense of the verb SER (to be)
Conjugation (present):
yo soy
tú eres
él/ella/usted es
nosotros/nosotras somos
vosotros/vosotras sois
ellos/ellas/ustedes son
Translations:
I am = soy
you are (informal singular) = eres
you are (formal singular) = usted es
we are = somos
you all are = sois
they are / you all are (formal) = son
Note: The slide reinforces the typical list of SER conjugations with subject pronouns, used when talking about time.
Important context for telling time in Spanish
In Spanish, telling time uses the verb ser and the construction with hours. The slides emphasize that this is the same verb used in English contexts for time.
Key phrases to mark time structure:
For 1:00 (one o'clock): use the feminine noun hour and verb form with singular agreement: Es la una.
For all other hours: use plural agreement: Son las dos, son las tres, …
The typical notion is:
Es la hora pentru 1:00;
Son las para 2:00–12:00 (except 1:00).
Telling time: basic structure (overview)
Question: ¿Qué hora es? → to ask what time it is.
To express a time that starts with one o’clock (una): use Es la + hora (and the appropriate form).
To express any other hour: use Son las + hour.
Detailed rules for hora (hour) expression
Question form to ask time:
¿Qué es? → Fill with hora: ¿Qué hora es?
For 1:00 (una): use "Es la" + una (singular) to indicate one o’clock: Es la una.
For other times (plural hours): use "Son las" + hour: Son las dos, Son las tres, …
The slide explicitly lists the structure:
es + la hora
son + las
Expressing minutes after the hour (adding minutes)
To add minutes after an hour, connect with the conjunction y (and).
The general pattern: hour + y + minutes.
Example templates (conceptual):
Es la una y quince = 1:15
Son las dos y veinte = 2:20
Key note: minutes are added after the hour using the connector y.
Expressions for minutes: 15 and 30 (past the hour)
For 15 minutes past the hour (quarter past): you may use either
y cuarto or y quince (both mean 15 minutes past).
For 30 minutes past the hour (half past): you may use either
y media or y treinta (both mean 30 minutes past).
Example forms:
1:15 → Es la una y cuarto or Es la una y quince
1:30 → Es la una y media or Es la una y treinta
Expressing minutes before the hour (past to the next hour, using subtraction)
When expressing minutes after the half hour up to the next hour by subtraction:
Use the pattern: next hour − minutes, e.g.,
12:45 → Es la una menos quince (12:45 is expressed as 1:00 minus 15, i.e., the next hour’s framework with una as the base).
Important caveat from the slide: this “subtracting minutes” method is not used as much today; the exact minutes form (with y and minute counts) is preferred.
The slide notes that subtraction-based expressions are still encountered occasionally.
Asking and stating times for events
To ask when a given event occurs: ¿A qué hora…? (e.g., ¿A qué hora es la clase?)
To state when something occurs: use the construction with a la + time or a las + time depending on the hour.
Example templates:
La película empieza a las tres. (at 3:00) → requires plural hour form when needed
La reunión es a la una. (at 1:00)
Time-of-day phrases and day-part distinctions
Phrases used to describe time of day:
de la mañana = in the morning
de la tarde = in the afternoon
de la noche = in the evening / at night
el mediodía = noon
la medianoche = midnight
The slide highlights a practical switch point: at what time do you switch from “de la tarde” to “de la noche”?
Rough guide in the slide: 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM is de la tarde; 7:00 PM to 11:59 PM is de la noche.
Also emphasizes AM vs PM context, which is a practical distinction in everyday use (though formal Spanish taught in some contexts uses 24-hour notation).
Quick reference examples (from the slides, with notes on accuracy)
What time is it now?
¿Qué hora es?
Use the verb SER with the appropriate form:
Es la una (1:00)
Son las dos (2:00)
Son las doce menos quince (12:45), etc.
1:00 → Es la una
12:45 → commonly expressed as Es la una menos quince (using the subtraction form) or as Son las doce menos quince depending on the convention used; the standard modern usage for 12:45 is usually Son las doce menos cuarto.
1:15 → Es la una y cuarto (or Es la una y quince)
1:30 → Es la una y media (or Es la una y treinta)
2:00 → Son las dos
8:30 → Son las ocho y media
11:45 → Son las doce menos quince
12:45 (alternative): Es la una menos quince (note: this reflects the “hours around 1” convention for the one-o’clock anchor depending on how you count, but many learners use “Son las doce menos quince” as the usual form for 12:45)
6:15 → Son las seis y quince (or Son las seis y cuarto)
7:34 → Son las ocho menos veintiséis (demonstrates the subtraction method for times just before the next hour)
Common notational practice (AM/PM and day parts)
de la mañana = morning
de la tarde = afternoon
de la noche = night
el mediodía = noon
la medianoche = midnight
Note on usage: the switch from “de la tarde” to “de la noche” is commonly around after 6:00–7:00 PM in conversational context; the slide gives a rough rule of thumb (1 PM–6 PM: de la tarde; 7 PM–11:59 PM: de la noche).
The full-day naming helps when scheduling events (e.g., la clase de la tarde, la clase de la noche).
Additional notes from the transcript slides
The page visuals include decorative elements (VAVAVAVAV…) that do not alter the linguistic content; focus on the textual rules above.
A few slide entries contain minor inconsistencies (e.g., mismatches between times and the phrases shown). The notes above reflect standard, commonly accepted Spanish usage for telling time, with a few explicit examples aligned to the content where possible.
Quick cheat sheet (summary)
When it is 1:00 → Es la una
When it is any other hour → Son las [hour]
To add minutes after the hour: use y + minutes
15 minutes past: y cuarto or y quince
30 minutes past: y media or y treinta
15 minutes to the next hour: menos cuarto (or an equivalent subtraction form)
To ask when something happens: ¿A qué hora…?
To say when something happens: a la + time (feminine hour) or a las + time (plural hours)
Time of day: de la mañana, de la tarde, de la noche; el mediodía; la medianoche
Connections to broader principles and real-world relevance
Understanding time in Spanish supports daily communication, scheduling, travel, and formal timetables.
The distinction between es la vs son las reflects subject-verb agreement with hours and highlights how number agreement and gender influence verb forms in Spanish.
The use of “y” vs subtraction forms mirrors how other Romance languages express time and quantity through conjunctions and arithmetic-like phrases.
Ethical, philosophical, or practical implications
Clarity in time-telling reduces miscommunication in real-world planning (appointments, travel, work schedules).
Awareness of different regional preferences (some prefer 24-hour format in formal contexts; others use AM/PM in casual use) helps respect local communication styles.
Notation notes for study
Practice with many times in both formats (with and without minutes) to build fluency.
Be aware of common pitfalls in beginner materials (e.g., mistakenly aligning 12:45 with Una hora etc.). Use the standard forms above as the baseline.
LaTeX-ready time expressions (for study notes)
ext{Es la una}
ext{Son las dos}
ext{Es la una y quince} / ext{Es la una y cuarto}
ext{Es la una y media} / ext{Es la una y treinta}
ext{Son las ocho y media}
ext{Son las doce menos quince}
ext{A qué hora…?}
ext{a la + time} ext{ or } ext{a las + time}
ext{de la mañana}, ext{de la tarde}, ext{de la noche}, ext{el mediodía}, ext{la medianoche}
Quick practice prompts
Convert the following into Spanish time expressions:
1:00 → ___
12:45 → ___ (note: consider both “Es la una menos quince” and “Son las doce menos quince” depending on the convention in use)
2:15 → ___
5:30 → ___
7:45 → ___
Ask a classmate: ¿A qué hora es la clase? (example)
State a class time: La clase es a las tres. (example)