Look at the Clock: Telling Time en Español By Mingxue Zheng and Lala Doumbia

Posted by Mingxue Zheng in Spanish 1 - Bey on


What time is it?
¿Qué hara es?
pronunciation: (ke) (or-ra) (es)

Rules for timing time:

Son las vs. Es la

Only use “Es la” for only one hour because it is singular (1hr.). Instead of using uno for one hr., use una instead.
         Ex: 1:16
             Es la una y diez y seis
          Ex: 7: 28
             Es la siete y veinte ocho  (You can't use Es la for this example because it is seven hours instead of one hour).
Use “Son las” for two to twelve hours (2-12 hrs.).
         Ex: 7: 28
                  Son las siete y veinte y ocho
          Ex: 2: 05
                  Son las dos y cinco
“y” vs. “menos”:
“y” is use for 0-30mins

1.Chose Es la or Son las based on the hour

2.State the hour

3.Connect the hours and minutes with “y”

4.State the minutes

Ex: 2: 10

    Son las dos y diez


Memos is use for 31-59 mins. It means subtract.         

1.Chose Es la or Son las based on the hour

2.State the hour ahead

3.Connect the hours and minutes with “memos”

4.State how many minutes it would take to be in the hour you state on step two

Ex: 4: 55

     Son las cinco memos cincenta y cinco

Ex: 12: 48

      Es la una memos doce

The reason it is Es la instead of Son las is because the hour ahead of twelve is one. Therefore, it is singular.


Two ways to say 30mins. and 15mins.


You can say “treinte” or media (mad-de-ya), which means ½.

You can say diez y cinco or cuatro (qua-do-ro), which means ¼.

  

AM/PM:

AM: de la manaña (de) (la) (mi-ya-la)

PM (afternoon): de la tardes (de) (la) (started-this)

PM (night): de la noche (de) (la) (no-che)

Midnight: La medianocho (la) (mad-de-ya) (no-cho)


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