STEP TEN
¿Qué hora es?
In this final “STEP” section, you will learn to tell time.
When you want to find out what time it is, you can ask someone:
¿Qué hora es?
Es la una.
(It’s one o’clock.)
Son las dos.
(It’s two o’clock.)
Son las tres.
(It’s three o’clock.)
Here are some other useful constructions to use when talking about time:
Es la una y cuarto.
(It’s quarter after one.)
Son las dos y cuarto.
(It’s quarter after two.)
Es la una y media.
(It’s one-thirty.)
Son las cinco y media.
(It’s five-thirty.)
Es la una menos cuarto.
(It’s quarter of one.)
Son las nueve menos cuarto.
(It’s quarter of nine.)
Es la una en punto.
(It’s one o’clock sharp.)
Son las once en punto.
(It’s eleven o’clock sharp.)
Es (el) mediodía.
(It’s noon.)
Es (la) medianoche.
(It’s midnight.)
Es la una y veinte.
(It’s one-twenty.)
Son las nueve y veinte.
(It’s nine-twenty.)
Here are some possible questions you might ask when you want to find out when an event is taking place:
¿A qué hora es la clase de español?
([At] what time is the Spanish class?)
La clase de español es a las diez.
(The Spanish class is at ten.)
¿A qué hora es el partido de fútbol?
([At] what time is the soccer game?)
El partido de fútbol es a las tres.
(The soccer game is at three.)
¿A qué hora es la fiesta?
([At] what time is the party?)
La fiesta es a las ocho.
(The party is at eight.)
PRÁCTICA DE PRONUNCIACIÓN
f, t, x
Here are the last three consonants!
Here is an easy one. This consonant sounds like the “f” in “finger.”
fe, fiel, café, filosofía, farol, alfabeto,
Rafael, física, fideos
This consonant is similar to the English “t” in “toss,” except that it has a bit softer sound. There is not the same explosion of breath, however, that follows the English “t.” If you put a candle close to your lips when saying “Tom,” you might blow out the candle. In Spanish, the flame will barely flicker when saying “Tomás.”
taco, tentar, té, coyote, atleta, tío, temperatura, tostado, tela, timbre, Tomás
Depending on its position, the “x” has different sounds. Between vowels, it sounds like the “x” in the English word “exactly.”
examen, exigir, éxito, exactamente, exacto
When the “x” comes before a consonant, however, it can sound like the “s” in “soap” or like the “x” in “exactly.”
extraño, extraordinario, experimental,
extraterrestre, explicación
Note: The words “Texas” and “México” are pronounced “Tejas” and “Méjico.”