Telling the time: es la una, son las dos

Ask ¿Qué hora es? and answer Son las tres. Minutes go on with y (and) up to the half hour, and come off the next hour with menos (minus) after it. Two things catch English speakers: the plural, and its one exception:

• Son las tres. - It's three o'clock.
• Es la una. - It's one o'clock.

The whole system on one screen

Blue y adds minutes, orange menos takes them away. Everything else is a number you already know.

Asking the time

There is no word for o'clock. Son las tres is the whole answer, and las stands for the hidden horas.

Hora is the time on the clock. Time in general is tiempo, and an occasion is vez:

• ¿Qué hora es? - What time is it?
• No tengo tiempo. - I haven't got time.
• Es la primera vez. - It's the first time.

Es la una, son las dos

Every hour from two to twelve is plural, because you are counting hours. One o'clock is a single hour, so the verb and article are singular:

1234

1. 1Es la una.
2. 2Son las dos.
3. 3Son las dos y media.
4. 4Son las tres menos cuarto.

One o'clock is singular, es la una; every other hour is plural, son las dos. Quarter to three already names las tres.

The hour you name decides the verb. Quarter to one names la una, so it is singular even though the clock still shows twelve.