Time in Spanish can feel like a tiny puzzle – especially when half past two is las dos y media but half past three runs the same pattern, and then you hit mediodía and medianoche. This list hands you around 121 practical words and phrases so you can stop guessing and start telling time like a local.
Ready to make time-telling in Spanish feel less like a clock crisis and more like a tiny win? Scroll to the bottom of the article for the free printable how to tell time in spanish vocabulary list PDF and the free downloadable printable how to tell time in spanish flashcards.
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Quick Quiz
Think you can fire off son las tres y cuarto without blinking? The quick quiz below will test your time-telling reflexes – no pressure, just a friendly check-in.
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| Word / Phrase | Type | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a menudo | adverb | often | A menudo estudio por la noche. | I often study at night. |
| a menudo | adverb | often | A menudo visito a mi abuela. | I often visit my grandmother. |
| a tiempo | adverbial phrase | on time | Llegué a tiempo a clase. | I arrived on time for class. |
| a tiempo | adverbial phrase | on time | Llegamos a tiempo a la clase. | We arrived on time for class. |
| a veces | adverb | sometimes | A veces voy al parque. | Sometimes I go to the park. |
| a veces | frequency adverb | sometimes | A veces camino al trabajo. | Sometimes I walk to work. |
| ahora | adverb | at this moment; now | Ahora estudio español. | I study Spanish now. |
| ahora | adverb | at this moment; now | Ahora estudio español. | I study Spanish now. |
| ahora mismo | adverbial phrase | right now | Estoy ocupado ahora mismo. | I am busy right now. |
| ahora mismo | phrase | right now | Ahora mismo estoy ocupado. | I am busy right now. |
| ahorita | time adverb | right now / in a moment | Ahorita te llamo. | I’ll call you right now. |
| ahorita | time adverb | right now / in a moment | Ahorita te llamo. | I’ll call you in a moment. |
| al final | adverbial phrase | in the end | Al final, todo salió bien. | In the end, everything went well. |
| al final | expression | in the end | Al final todo salió bien. | In the end everything went well. |
| al principio | adverbial phrase | at first | Al principio fue difícil. | At first, it was difficult. |
| al principio | expression | at first | Al principio fue difícil. | At first it was difficult. |
| al rato | adverbial phrase | in a little while | Voy al rato. | I’m going in a little while. |
| al rato | phrase | after a while | Al rato, volvimos a casa. | After a while, we went back home. |
| año | noun | year | Vivo aquí desde hace un año. | I lived in Mexico for one year. |
| anoche | time adverb | last night | Anoche estudié español. | Last night, I studied Spanish. |
| anoche | time adverb | last night | Anoche vi una película. | Last night I watched a movie. |
| antes | adverb | before | Lávate las manos antes de comer. | Wash your hands before eating. |
| antes | adverb | before; earlier | Antes desayuno en casa. | I eat breakfast at home before. |
| antes de | preposition phrase | before | Lávate las manos antes de cenar. | Wash your hands before dinner. |
| aún | adverb | still; yet | Aún no he comido. | I have not eaten yet. |
Free Spanish Time-Telling Vocabulary List and Flashcard PDFs
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