Spanish · Time, Numbers & Colors
"What time is it?" in Spanish: ¿Qué hora es?
¿Qué hora es?
What time is it? in Spanish is ¿Qué hora es? Answers: es la una or son las dos. Friends also say ¿qué horas son?
On the street
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How to pronounce ¿Qué hora es?
Say it
keh OH-rah ehs
/ke ˈoɾa es/
keh OH-rah ehs. Soft h in hora. Stress OH. Rising question tone.
"What time is it?" in Spanish: quick reference
| Spanish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Qué hora es? | What time is it? Standard question. | Standard question. |
| ¿Qué horas son? | What time is it? Very common spoken variant. | Very common spoken variant. |
| ¿Me dice la hora? | Could you tell me the time? Polite with usted. | Polite with usted. |
| Es la una. | It's one o'clock. Singular answer shape. | Singular answer shape. |
| Son las dos. | It's two o'clock. Plural hours from two up. | Plural hours from two up. |
How to use ¿Qué hora es? in real life
- 1On the street
Disculpe, ¿qué hora es?
Excuse me, what time is it?
Full polite form with qué hora es.
- 2Texting
¿Qué hora es ahí?
What time is it there?
Qué hora es plus a place.
- 3Before a meeting
¿Qué horas son? Empezamos ya.
What time is it? We're starting now.
Qué horas son is casual.
Mistakes English speakers make with ¿Qué hora es?
Incorrect: ¿Qué tiempo es?
Correct: ¿Qué hora es?
Ask with hora, not tiempo.
Incorrect: ¿Qué hora son?
Correct: ¿Qué hora es? / ¿Qué horas son?
Match: qué hora es, or qué horas son.
Good to know
Schedules often use 24-hour time. Spoken replies to ¿qué hora es? still prefer son las tres de la tarde.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Catching a train
ChatPal
¿Qué hora es?
What time is it?
You
Son las dos. ¿Qué hora es el tren?
It's two. What time is the train?
ChatPal
A las dos y veinte.
At two twenty.
You
Vamos. Queda poco.
Let's go. Little time left.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"What time is it?" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "What time is it?" in Spanish
Why es and not son?
Qué hora es is singular. Qué horas son is plural.
How do answers start?
Es la una… or son las dos…
Is ¿qué horas son? okay?
Yes. It is everyday spoken Spanish.
Should I use usted?
With strangers: disculpe, ¿qué hora es?
Learn a word, then use it out loud
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- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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