el

/ˈtjempo/

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Translation

time, weather

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Word origin

From Latin tempus, temporis ('time, season, weather'). Spanish keeps the older sense in which the same word covers both 'time' and 'weather'.

Origin
Latin
Root
tempus
English cognates
temporal, tempo, temporary

Grammar

Gendermasculine

Examples

, .

I do not have time to talk now, call me later.

¿ Madrid ?

What is the weather like in Madrid in August?

.

With time, everything gets sorted out.

.

I have not seen my cousins for a long time.

.

We arrived just in time to catch the last bus.

Tiempo carries two distinct meanings: "time" (duration, the abstract quantity) and "weather" (atmospheric conditions). Context makes the meaning clear in almost all cases, but learners should be aware that Spanish does not have a separate word for "weather" - tiempo does both jobs.

Note that tiempo refers to unstructured or abstract time ("no tengo tiempo"), while vez (occasion) and hora (clock time) are used for specific instances. "¿A qué tiempo llegas?" is not natural Spanish - use "¿A qué hora llegas?" for "What time are you arriving?"

Where this fits

Used in

Grammar articles

(36)

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Spanish · Free printables

tiempo: worksheet, infographic and listicle

Free printable study downloads for the Spanish word "tiempo" (time, weather): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.

This word is taught in chapter 2, lesson 10: tiempo, hombre, entonces and 9 more words.