In Spain, we do say "menos veinticinco", "menos veinte", "menos cuarto" and so on. No one would say that's "doing math" though, you just end up learning by heart that seeing 40 is "menos veinte", just like you see 30 and don't have to go "oh, so an hour is 60 minutes, so 30 is half that, so it must be half-past ten". It's not uncommon to simply say the number, though, so you can use that, but, at least here, you will hear the "menos whatever" structure very often. Answer from qwerty-1999 on reddit.com
SpanishDictionary.com
spanishdict.com › spanishdictionary.com › translate › 3:45 am
3:45 am in Spanish | English to Spanish Translation - SpanishDictionary.com
Translate 3:45 am. See authoritative translations of 3:45 am in Spanish with example sentences and audio pronunciations.
SpanishDictionary.com
spanishdict.com › spanishdictionary.com › translate › 3:45 a m
3:45 a m in Spanish | English to Spanish Translation - SpanishDictionary.com
Translate 3:45 a m. See authoritative translations of 3:45 a m in Spanish with example sentences and audio pronunciations.
Videos
Lawless Spanish
lawlessspanish.com › lawless spanish › grammar lessons
Telling Time in Spanish - Essential Spanish Grammar - Lawless Spanish
May 13, 2025 - Spanish doesn't have perfect equivalents for "a.m." and "p.m." You can use de la mañana for am, de la tarde from noon until 6 p.m., and de la noche from 6 p.m. until midnight, but time is usually expressed on a 24-hour clock.
Does telling time in Spanish always require me to use math? Like is it really necessary?
In Spain, we do say "menos veinticinco", "menos veinte", "menos cuarto" and so on. No one would say that's "doing math" though, you just end up learning by heart that seeing 40 is "menos veinte", just like you see 30 and don't have to go "oh, so an hour is 60 minutes, so 30 is half that, so it must be half-past ten". It's not uncommon to simply say the number, though, so you can use that, but, at least here, you will hear the "menos whatever" structure very often. More on reddit.com
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February 24, 2025found this image on twitter explaining how we informally tend to tell the time in Spanish and thought it was quite accurate
You forgot "ahorita". :) More on reddit.com
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October 28, 2021Telling 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, 2017SpanishDictionary.com
spanishdict.com › spanishdictionary.com › translate › 3:45am
3:45am in Spanish | English to Spanish Translation - SpanishDictionary.com
Translate 3:45am. See authoritative translations of 3:45am in Spanish with example sentences and audio pronunciations.
Preply
preply.com › preply language learning hub › learn spanish online › spanish vocabulary › telling the time in spanish: a complete beginner’s guide
Telling the time in Spanish – complete beginner's guide
October 13, 2025 - You can use either specific numbers (Son las tres y cinco for 3:05) or these special terms (cuarto, media) – both sound perfectly natural, though the special terms often flow better in conversation. When the minute hand passes 30, Spanish switches to a subtraction system using menos (minus/to). Instead of saying “8:45,” you say “quarter to nine” – son las nueve menos cuarto.
Dummies
dummies.com › article › academics-the-arts › language-language-arts › learning-languages › spanish › telling-time-in-spanish-202727
Telling Time in Spanish | dummies
June 30, 2025 - Regardless of which Spanish-speaking country you’re in, a conversation about time usually starts with ¿Qué hora es? (What time is it?) Here’s how you can tell someone what time it is in Spanish: · When someone asks you, ¿Qué hora es? respond with the following:
Quizlet
quizlet.com › 70016452 › span-l1-telling-time-flash-cards
SPAN L1: Telling time Flashcards | Quizlet
3:45 a.m. Son las cuatro menos cuarto de la mañana · 2:15 a.m. Son las dos y cuarto de la mañana · 1:25 p.m. Es la una y veinticinco de la tarde · 6:50 a.m. Son las siete menos diez de la mañana ·
Reddit
reddit.com › r/spanish › does telling time in spanish always require me to use math? like is it really necessary?
r/Spanish on Reddit: Does telling time in Spanish always require me to use math? Like is it really necessary?
February 24, 2025 -
In English I never use the “quarter til” talk and I never use estimates but in a portion of my Spanish grammar book they’re adding and subtracting.
In my book, one section says to translate It is 3:35 p.m. so I wrote “ Son las tres y treinta y cinco de la tarde “ but the book says that Son las cuatro menos veinticinco de la tarde is the answer.
No way will I have to be doing math like that right ??😩 Was the answer I gave acceptable?
THANKS TO ALL THE HELPFUL RESPONSES 🫶
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In Spain, we do say "menos veinticinco", "menos veinte", "menos cuarto" and so on. No one would say that's "doing math" though, you just end up learning by heart that seeing 40 is "menos veinte", just like you see 30 and don't have to go "oh, so an hour is 60 minutes, so 30 is half that, so it must be half-past ten". It's not uncommon to simply say the number, though, so you can use that, but, at least here, you will hear the "menos whatever" structure very often.
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In British English we used quarter past, half past and quarter to all the time. Para me es facil
Spanish411
spanish411.net › Spanish-Times-Dates.asp
Times and Dates in Spanish - Spanish411
To ask someone what time it is in Spanish, say this: · ¿Qué hora es? What time is it
Brainly
brainly.com › spanish › high school › how do you say "it's 3:45" in spanish?
[FREE] How do you say "It's 3:45" in Spanish? - brainly.com
October 8, 2020 - In Spanish, "It's 3:45" is translated as "Son las tres y cuarenta y cinco." This phrase includes the word for hours, the hour itself, and the minutes expressed in Spanish.
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 - So, do certain Spanish-speaking countries tend to use 24-hour time, and others use 12-hour time? Or is it just a matter of your personal preference as the article implies? ... In most countries, both systems are used interchangeably. But as an unspoken rule, for informal situations, the 12-hour system is still the most widely used. 1:00 PM 2:10 PM 3:15 PM 4:20 PM 5:25 PM 6:30 PM 7:35 PM 8:40 PM 9:45 PM 10:50 PM 11:55 PM 12:00 AM 1:05 AM 2:00 AM 3:00 AM 4:00 AM 5:00 AM 6:00 AM 7:00 AM 8:00 AM 9:00 AM 10:30 AM 11:43 AM 12:00 PM
Dhgate
smart.dhgate.com › mastering-spanish-time-expressions-a-practical-guide-to-writing-and-speaking-time-confidently
A Practical Guide to Writing and Speaking Time Confidently
November 22, 2025 - Find expert-backed shopping guides and top product picks from DHgate. Make smarter decisions with curated insights tailored for international buyers.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/spanish › found this image on twitter explaining how we informally tend to tell the time in spanish and thought it was quite accurate
r/Spanish on Reddit: found this image on twitter explaining how we informally tend to tell the time in Spanish and thought it was quite accurate
October 28, 2021 - In Mexico we usually say "(faltan) 15 para las cuatro" (15 min to four), but in Spain that same time would be "Las cuatro menos 15" (four minus 15), and I know it sounds the same, but my brain would picture the 4 and then process that it's that ...
Enforex
enforex.com › language › vocabulary-time.html
Spanish Time: learn to tell the time in Spanish | Enforex
In Spanish, as in many other countries, a 12-hour clock system is used. Here are some examples to help you understand how time is expressed in Spanish. The hours. They are expressed first, especially when it is an exact time. For example: “Son las 3” (“I'ts 3pm,”), which means that it is three o'clock in the afternoon.
Cooljugator
cooljugator.com › blog › telling-time-in-spanish
Time in Spanish: How to Ask and Tell the Time in Spanish - Cooljugator
April 7, 2025 - 3:45 PM: *las tres y cuarenta y cinco de la tarde* (the three and forty-five of the afternoon). To say "half past" the hour, you can use "y media" (and a half). For example: 4:30 AM: *las cuatro y media de la mañana* (the four and a half of the morning). 7:30 PM: *las siete y media de la noche* (the seven and a half of the night). Yes, you can tell time in Spanish this way.
ThoughtCo
thoughtco.com › telling-time-in-spanish-3078120
5 Quick Steps To Telling Time in Spanish
August 31, 2024 - Minutes can be stated simply by separating them from the hour using y, the word for "and." Es la una. (It is 1:00.) Es la una y dos. (It is 1:02.) Son las dos. (It is 2:00.) Son las tres.
MyMemory
mymemory.translated.net › en › English › Spanish › three-forty-five-am
Translate three forty five am in Spanish with examples
Contextual translation of "three forty five am" into Spanish. Human translations with examples: 1:00pm, hace 45 años, cuarenticinco, cuarenta y cinco.
SpanishPod101
spanishpod101.com › home › ultimate guide to telling time in spanish
Ultimate Guide to Telling Time in Spanish - SpanishPod101.com Blog
October 7, 2024 - We prefer to say ocho de la mañana (“eight in the morning”) or diez de la noche (“ten in the evening”). However, when it comes to writing the time in Spanish, we use the twenty-four-hour clock (also known as military time). However, this is very subjective because some of the Latin American countries aren’t used to using the twenty-four-hour clock and use a.m.
Wanderlust Spanish
wanderlustspanish.com › home › uncategorized › how to tell the time in spanish
How to tell the time in Spanish - Wanderlust Spanish
March 16, 2021 - La mañana (Son las 8 de la mañana) = It’s 8 am / It’s 8 in the morning. El mediodía (Son las 12 del mediodía) = It’s 12 pm / It’s 12 noon · La tarde (Son las 3 de la tarde) = It’s 3 pm / It’s 3 in the afternoon