Sofia · Learn Spanish How to say it in Spanish How to Say What Time Is It in Spanish (+ Variations You'll Hear)
To ask “what time is it?” in Spanish, say ¿Qué hora es? — pronounced keh OH-rah ess. That’s the textbook standard, understood everywhere. But here’s a fun regional secret: in Mexico, you’ll just as often hear the plural version, ¿Qué horas son? (keh OH-rahs sohn). Both are correct in Mexican usage, both get you the time, and knowing the second one instantly makes you sound like you’ve actually spent time there.
Asking is the easy half. Understanding the answer — “veinte para las cinco” — is where learners get ambushed, so this page covers both directions of the conversation.
The main way to say it
¿Qué hora es? — keh OH-rah ess
Pronunciation notes:
- Qué is a clean “keh” — the u is silent, as always after q.
- Hora starts with a silent h: OH-rah. Never pronounce the h.
- Run it together naturally: keh-OH-rah-ESS. In fast speech it flows as one unit.
And the answers — this is the part to actually memorize:
- Es la una. — It’s one o’clock. (Only 1:00 uses the singular es.)
- Son las tres. — It’s three o’clock. (Every other hour uses son.)
- Son las tres y cuarto / y media. — It’s 3:15 / 3:30.
- Son veinte para las cinco. — It’s twenty to five (4:40) — the standard Mexican way.
- Son las cuatro cuarenta. — 4:40, digital style, also very common.
Add the part of day when it matters: de la mañana (a.m.), de la tarde (afternoon/evening), de la noche (night). And for “at what time” something happens, switch to a: ¿A qué hora empieza la película? — A las ocho.
Variations
| Spanish | Pronunciation | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Qué hora es? | keh OH-rah ess | The universal standard |
| ¿Qué horas son? | keh OH-rahs sohn | Everyday Mexican variant, totally normal there |
| ¿Tienes hora? | TYEH-ness OH-rah | Casual “got the time?” to someone your age |
| ¿Tiene hora? | TYEH-neh OH-rah | Same, but polite usted — strangers, elders |
| ¿Me da la hora, por favor? | meh dah lah OH-rah | Extra courteous: “could you give me the time, please?” |
| ¿Qué hora tienes? | keh OH-rah TYEH-ness | ”What time do you have?” — checking against someone’s watch |
| Disculpe, ¿qué hora es? | dees-KOOL-peh… | ”Excuse me, what time is it?” — the full polite street version |
The pattern to notice: when you stop a stranger on the street in Mexico, you soften the question. Lead with disculpe (excuse me) or use the ¿tiene hora? formula. Barking “¿Qué hora es?” at a passerby with no cushion isn’t rude exactly, but the disculpe is what a native would do.
Hear it in context
Stopping someone on the street:
— Disculpe, ¿tiene hora? — Sí, claro… son diez para las tres. — ¡Uy, ya es tarde! Muchas gracias. — De nada, que le vaya bien.
— Excuse me, do you have the time? — Yes, of course… it’s ten to three. — Oh no, it’s late already! Thank you so much. — You’re welcome, have a good one.
Making plans with a friend:
— ¿A qué hora nos vemos mañana? — ¿Te parece a las nueve y media? — Mejor a las diez, ¿no? Es sábado. — Va. A las diez en el café de siempre.
— What time are we meeting tomorrow? — Does nine thirty work for you? — Better at ten, no? It’s Saturday. — Deal. Ten o’clock at the usual café.
That little va in the last line is Mexican shorthand for “okay, deal” — a bonus souvenir.
Common mistakes
- Asking “¿Qué tiempo es?” Tiempo means time as a concept — or the weather. ¿Qué tiempo hace? asks for a forecast. For clock time, it’s always hora.
- Mixing up es and son. One o’clock is singular: Es la una (y media). Everything else is plural: Son las dos, son las once. Answering “es las cinco” is the classic giveaway.
- Getting lost at “veinte para las cinco.” Mexico expresses “to the hour” with para: veinte para las cinco = 4:40. Spain says las cinco menos veinte instead. Understand both, produce the para version.
- Forgetting la/las before the hour. It’s son las tres, a la una. Dropping the article (“son tres”) sounds broken.
- Using the 24-hour clock in speech. Schedules and tickets print 19:00, but nobody says “las diecinueve horas” in conversation. Say las siete de la noche.
- Answering with the wrong “half.” Y media = half past. There’s no “half to” in Spanish — 4:30 is cuatro y media, never something-to-five.
Related phrases
Time questions come bundled with other small-talk essentials:
- How to say Welcome in Spanish — guests arriving at the hour you agreed on
- How to say Good Luck in Spanish — for the friend rushing to the exam at diez para las nueve
- How to say Cheers in Spanish — because la hora feliz deserves a proper toast
Telling time is really a numbers game — if cuarenta y cinco still makes you pause, work through our guide to Spanish numbers first, then keep your calendar straight with days and months in Spanish.
FAQ
Is “¿Qué horas son?” wrong? Not in Mexico — it’s everyday usage there and in much of Latin America, even if some grammar purists side-eye it. In Spain it sounds off. As a learner you’re safe with either in Mexico; ¿Qué hora es? is the safest everywhere.
How do I say a.m. and p.m.? Use the day parts: de la mañana (roughly until noon), de la tarde (noon until dark), de la noche (after dark). “7 p.m.” = las siete de la noche or de la tarde depending on season and speaker.
How do I ask what time something starts? With a: ¿A qué hora empieza…? And the answer also takes a: A las ocho y media.
What’s “noon” and “midnight”? El mediodía (noon) and la medianoche (midnight): Es mediodía, Nos vemos al mediodía, Llegué a medianoche.
The real test is catching “diez para las tres” at street speed — Sofia, an AI Spanish tutor with a natural Mexican accent, will quiz you on times out loud until it clicks.