The question I was supposed to answer was “¿A qué hora es el almuerzo?”. They said it was at 12 pm. So I wrote “El almuerzo es a las doce de la tarde.” But they said it was supposed to be “El almuerzo es a las doce del día.” Shouldn’t both work? I would never use "tarde" for 12 pm. For me "tarde" is always used some time after lunch. The most natural answer here in Spain would be "El almuerzo es a las 12 de la mañana" because we start having lunch after 13pm so we consider 12pm still morning. But technically 12pm is already noon so in other countries "El almuerzo es a las 12 del mediodía" is more correct. This is fine in Spain too and can be used, so you could stick to this answer as the correct one. But I would avoid "tarde" here anyway. On the other one I got wrong, they gave us times and we were supposed to say what time it is. It said 12:00 am. I put “Son las doce de la mañana.” It was corrected as “Son las doce de la noche.” Before this, I thought that de la mañana = anytime in the AM, de la tarde = PM before dark, and de la noche = PM after dark. Is this incorrect? I know that the other ways to say 12 PM and 12 AM are “mediodía” and “medianoche” but why were my answers wrong? I do consider 12 AM night not morning, so I guess de la noche makes sense, however the correct answer for 1:00 AM was “Es la una de la mañana.” Is it not correct to say de la mañana until 1 AM? I think of 1 AM as night as well. You use "de la mañana" after 12 AM but you don't include 12 AM. 12 AM = de la noche 1 AM = de la mañana As a side note. In some countries (Spain, Chile, maybe there are more) we use the 24 hour system and rarely use the AM/PM system when writing. Answer from haitike on reddit.com
SpanishDictionary.com
spanishdict.com › spanishdictionary.com › translate › twelve o'clock
Twelve o clock in Spanish | English to Spanish Translation - SpanishDictionary.com
Let's start the meeting at twelve o'clock so we can finish by lunchtime.¿Por qué no empezamos la reunión a las doce para terminar antes de la hora del almuerzo?Copyright © 2025 Dictionary Media Group, Inc.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnspanish › what are the correct ways to say 12 am and 12 pm in spanish?
r/learnspanish on Reddit: What are the correct ways to say 12 AM and 12 PM in Spanish?
February 24, 2021 -
I am a beginner Spanish student and we are learning how to say what time things are at and tell the time. On an online homework assignment, I got these two wrong.
The question I was supposed to answer was “¿A qué hora es el almuerzo?”. They said it was at 12 pm. So I wrote “El almuerzo es a las doce de la tarde.” But they said it was supposed to be “El almuerzo es a las doce del día.” Shouldn’t both work?
On the other one I got wrong, they gave us times and we were supposed to say what time it is. It said 12:00 am. I put “Son las doce de la mañana.” It was corrected as “Son las doce de la noche.”
Before this, I thought that de la mañana = anytime in the AM, de la tarde = PM before dark, and de la noche = PM after dark. Is this incorrect? I know that the other ways to say 12 PM and 12 AM are “mediodía” and “medianoche” but why were my answers wrong?
I do consider 12 AM night not morning, so I guess de la noche makes sense, however the correct answer for 1:00 AM was “Es la una de la mañana.” Is it not correct to say de la mañana until 1 AM? I think of 1 AM as night as well.
Anyways, thanks in advance. I know probably I over complicated the question with all my writing, but I wanted to share my thought processes.
Top answer 1 of 3
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The question I was supposed to answer was “¿A qué hora es el almuerzo?”. They said it was at 12 pm. So I wrote “El almuerzo es a las doce de la tarde.” But they said it was supposed to be “El almuerzo es a las doce del día.” Shouldn’t both work? I would never use "tarde" for 12 pm. For me "tarde" is always used some time after lunch. The most natural answer here in Spain would be "El almuerzo es a las 12 de la mañana" because we start having lunch after 13pm so we consider 12pm still morning. But technically 12pm is already noon so in other countries "El almuerzo es a las 12 del mediodía" is more correct. This is fine in Spain too and can be used, so you could stick to this answer as the correct one. But I would avoid "tarde" here anyway. On the other one I got wrong, they gave us times and we were supposed to say what time it is. It said 12:00 am. I put “Son las doce de la mañana.” It was corrected as “Son las doce de la noche.” Before this, I thought that de la mañana = anytime in the AM, de la tarde = PM before dark, and de la noche = PM after dark. Is this incorrect? I know that the other ways to say 12 PM and 12 AM are “mediodía” and “medianoche” but why were my answers wrong? I do consider 12 AM night not morning, so I guess de la noche makes sense, however the correct answer for 1:00 AM was “Es la una de la mañana.” Is it not correct to say de la mañana until 1 AM? I think of 1 AM as night as well. You use "de la mañana" after 12 AM but you don't include 12 AM. 12 AM = de la noche 1 AM = de la mañana As a side note. In some countries (Spain, Chile, maybe there are more) we use the 24 hour system and rarely use the AM/PM system when writing.
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In spanish (Chile), time works something like this: 1:00 am to 11:59 am: [x hour] de la mañana. Since dawn to 11:59 am: [x hour] del día. 12:00 pm: 12 del día/ 12 del mediodía /12 de la tarde. 12:00 pm to 07:59 pm/19:59: [x hour] de la tarde. From the sunset/8:00 pm/20:00 to 12:59 am/00:59: [x hour] de la noche. 12:00 am/00:00: 12 de la medianoche. Also, you could easely say "12:00 am" in spanish, like "doce a (ah) m (ehme)". The concept of AM and PM have a translation in spanish: ante meridiano y pasado meridiano. I hope that this help you!
Videos
How to tell the time in Spanish - YouTube
How to tell time in Spanish - YouTube
20:24
Year 5 Unit 15: telling the time - o'clock and half past - YouTube
00:08
How to pronounce 'A las doce en punto.' (At twelve o’clock.) ...
06:42
12 hour clock Spanish - YouTube
SpanishDictionary.com
spanishdict.com › spanishdictionary.com › translate › it's twelve o'clock
It's twelve o'clock in Spanish | English to Spanish Translation - SpanishDictionary.com
It's twelve o'clock at night. What are you doing awake?Son las doce de la noche. ¿Qué haces despierto?Copyright © 2025 Dictionary Media Group, Inc. ... Roll the dice and learn a new word now! ... Spanish learning for everyone.
What are the correct ways to say 12 AM and 12 PM in Spanish?
The question I was supposed to answer was “¿A qué hora es el almuerzo?”. They said it was at 12 pm. So I wrote “El almuerzo es a las doce de la tarde.” But they said it was supposed to be “El almuerzo es a las doce del día.” Shouldn’t both work? I would never use "tarde" for 12 pm. For me "tarde" is always used some time after lunch. The most natural answer here in Spain would be "El almuerzo es a las 12 de la mañana" because we start having lunch after 13pm so we consider 12pm still morning. But technically 12pm is already noon so in other countries "El almuerzo es a las 12 del mediodía" is more correct. This is fine in Spain too and can be used, so you could stick to this answer as the correct one. But I would avoid "tarde" here anyway. On the other one I got wrong, they gave us times and we were supposed to say what time it is. It said 12:00 am. I put “Son las doce de la mañana.” It was corrected as “Son las doce de la noche.” Before this, I thought that de la mañana = anytime in the AM, de la tarde = PM before dark, and de la noche = PM after dark. Is this incorrect? I know that the other ways to say 12 PM and 12 AM are “mediodía” and “medianoche” but why were my answers wrong? I do consider 12 AM night not morning, so I guess de la noche makes sense, however the correct answer for 1:00 AM was “Es la una de la mañana.” Is it not correct to say de la mañana until 1 AM? I think of 1 AM as night as well. You use "de la mañana" after 12 AM but you don't include 12 AM. 12 AM = de la noche 1 AM = de la mañana As a side note. In some countries (Spain, Chile, maybe there are more) we use the 24 hour system and rarely use the AM/PM system when writing. More on reddit.com
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February 24, 2021I just heard Spanish speaking countries use 24 hour clock for time / military time, that's crazy!
This is common in countries that use the metric system. (So, almost everywhere.) More on reddit.com
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November 19, 2020Telling time in Spanish
Cause informal seems way more practical than having to subtract in the formal variation Normally, that's the most common way to say it and it doesn't have to do with formality. The substraction is rarely (if ever) used by Mexicans. We only express how long until the next hour comes but this usually happens after the 35 minute mark every five minutes for easier maths. We also use "y" only at the 15 and 30 minute marks to express y cuarto and y media; other than that I don't think it's common but we do use con although it still sounds a little formal: 12:00: Son las doce; son las doce en punto; es mediodía [noon]; es medianoche [midnight] 12:01: Son las doce uno 12:09: Son las doce nueve 12:15: Son las doce y cuarto; son las doce quince 12:25: Son las doce veinticinco 12:30: Son las doce y media; son las doce treinta 12:35: Son las doce treinta y cinco; son veinticinco para la una; faltan veinticinco para la una 12:42: Son las doce cuarenta y dos 12:45: Son cuarto para la una; son las doce cuarenta y cinco; son cuarto para la una; falta un cuarto para la una; faltan quince para la una 12:50: Son las doce cincuenta; son diez para la una; faltan diez para la una More on reddit.com
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December 9, 2017Lingoda
lingoda.com › home › learning materials for spanish learners › how to tell the time in spanish
How to tell the time in Spanish - Lingoda
October 5, 2023 - Read this guide so you can stay punctual whether you’re scheduling meetings, making reservations or reading bus and train timetables in Spanish. ... Spanish-speaking countries use a 24-hour clock. It’s common to see times written in both the 24-hour and 12-hour format.
Lawless Spanish
lawlessspanish.com › lawless spanish › grammar lessons
Telling Time in Spanish - Essential Spanish Grammar - Lawless Spanish
May 13, 2025 - There are three Spanish translations for "time," each with a different meaning. Only hora is needed for this lesson – when telling time, it’s equivalent to "o’clock."
Live Lingua
livelingua.com › live lingua › telling time in spanish
How To Tell Time In Spanish - Live Lingua
July 1, 2020 - Example: Son las tres de la tarde or Son las tres de la mañana. Both time systems, 12 hours and 24 hours, are widely used in Spanish speaking countries around the world.
SpanishDictionary.com
spanishdict.com › spanishdictionary.com › translate › 12:00
12:00 in Spanish | English to Spanish Translation - SpanishDictionary.com
Translate 12:00. See authoritative translations of 12:00 in Spanish with example sentences and audio pronunciations.
Mondly
mondly.com › home › learn spanish - tips, stories, and more › how to tell time in spanish – a complete guide for beginners
How To Tell Time In Spanish - A Complete Guide For Beginners | Mondly Blog
October 9, 2025 - The reason the phrase doesn’t start with “son las doce” (it’s twelve o’clock) like “son las seis y cuarto” (it’s six and a quarter) is a matter of convention and style.
Tureng
tureng.com › en › spanish-english › twelve o'clock
Tureng - twelve o'clock - Spanish English Dictionary
English Spanish online dictionary Tureng, translate words and terms with different pronunciation options. twelve o'clock cero horas fasting from twelve o'clock in the evening
SpanishDictionary.com
spanishdict.com › spanishdictionary.com › translate › twelve o'clock
12o clock in Spanish | English to Spanish Translation - SpanishDictionary.com
... Let's start the meeting at twelve o'clock so we can finish by lunchtime.¿Por qué no empezamos la reunión a las doce para terminar antes de la hora del almuerzo?Copyright © 2024 Curiosity Media Inc.
My Daily Spanish
mydailyspanish.com › home › spanish vocabulary and expressions › how to tell time in spanish: the ultimate guide
How to Tell Time in Spanish: The Ultimate Guide
August 30, 2022 - To respond to this question, we use the verb “ser” (“to be”). Instead of x o’clock, Spanish speakers count hours. Example: Son las 8 => it is 8 (hours) => it is 8 o’clock. Usually, you’ll need to use “son las...” (sohn lahs) to mean “it is” but occasionally you use “es la” (ehs lah). This is because “son las” is used for plural times, i.e. anything bigger than 1 o’clock. “Es la” is singular, so it’s used for 1 o’clock (and x minutes past 1). ... Usually, when we say “it’s 12 o’clock,” we know whether it’s the middle of the day or the middle of the night by, like, seeing if it’s dark outside.
Busuu
busuu.com › en › spanish › time
Time in Spanish: Complete Guide to Telling the Time - Busuu
It’s twelve o’clock. – Son las doce. In spoken Spanish, the less formal twelve-hour clock is used, while the 24-hour clock is more common in written Spanish.
Babbel
babbel.com › learn-spanish › newcomer › telling-time-in-spanish
Telling Time In Spanish: A Comprehensive Guide
September 30, 2025 - — It's one minus a quarter, or It's a quarter to one. (12:45) Son las tres menos ocho. — It's three minus eight, or It's eight (minutes) to three. (2:52) And that’s it! That wasn’t too hard, was it? Now that you’re a master of telling time in Spanish, why stop there?
Kwiziq Spanish
spanish.kwiziq.com › library › grammar › level a1 › idioms, idiomatic usage, and structures
Telling time - 12-hour clock | Spanish Grammar | Kwiziq Spanish
September 9, 2025 - Using Hacía + length of time + que + the Spanish imperfect tense to express duration in the past ... Join now for free! In this lesson, we will focus on how to express 12-hour clock times, and how to say half past, quarter to/past ...
Reverso
context.reverso.net › translation › english-spanish › 12+o'clock
12 o'clock - Translation into Spanish - examples English | Reverso Context
The counter at 12 o'clock provides the date and the small seconds. El contador situado a las 12 indica la fecha y el segundero pequeño.
Dhgate
smart.dhgate.com › home › how to say 12 o’clock in spanish: a clear guide to telling time confidently
How to Say 12 O’Clock in Spanish: A Clear Guide to Telling Time Confidently - Smart.DHgate – Trusted Buying Guides for Global Shoppers
November 21, 2025 - When jumping into speaking Spanish, telling time seems straightforward—but it’s surprisingly easy to slip up, especially with 12 o’clock. One frequent mistake
Quora
quora.com › What-is-the-correct-way-to-say-one-oclock-in-Spanish
What is the correct way to say 'one o'clock' in Spanish? - Quora
Answer (1 of 2): Una en punto. The hours in Spanish are femenine because hour “hora” is femenine. O’clock is “en punto”
AmazingTalker®
en.amazingtalker.com › home › telling time in spanish: from mañana (morning) to noche (night)
Telling Time in Spanish: From Mañana (Morning) to Noche (Night)
September 25, 2024 - For the 12 hour system, the phrases “ de la mañana” (AM), “de la tarde” and de la noche” are used with the last two being used in reference to PM. However, for the 24-hour system these phrases are not used and instead the number of ...
Study.com
study.com › courses › foreign language courses › spanish 101: beginning spanish
How to Tell the Hour in Spanish - Lesson | Study.com
September 15, 2013 - Learning how to tell the time in a foreign language is also very important. In this lesson we are going to focus on how to tell the hour in Spanish. ... Why do you think to say 'it's 1:00', we say 'es la una', and for all the other hours we use 'son las'? Think of 1:00 as being singular, and the other hours, 2-12, as being plural.