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hora

/OH-rah/

hour

A large, brightly colored hourglass standing upright, with sand actively flowing from the top bulb to the bottom bulb, representing the passage of 60 minutes.

The hourglass visually represents a *hora* (hour), a standard unit of time.

hora(Noun)

fA1
hour?a unit of 60 minutes
Also:o'clock?used when telling time

📝 In Action

La película dura dos horas.

A1

The movie is two hours long.

Nos vemos en media hora.

A2

See you in half an hour.

El tren llega a las cinco en punto.

A2

The train arrives at five o'clock sharp.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

  • media hora – half an hour
  • un cuarto de hora – a quarter of an hour
  • hora punta / hora pico – rush hour
  • veinticuatro horas – twenty-four hours

Idioms & Expressions

  • a última hora – at the last minute

💡 Grammar Points

'Es la una' vs. 'Son las dos'

When telling time, use 'es la' only for one o'clock because it's singular. For all other hours (two, three, etc.), use 'son las' because they're plural. Think 'It is one hour' vs. 'They are two hours'.

Always Feminine

'Hora' is a feminine word, so you always use feminine words like 'la', 'las', or 'una' with it. For example, 'Es la una' (It's one o'clock).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using 'es' for all hours

Mistake: "Es las tres de la tarde."

Correction: Son las tres de la tarde. Remember, only one o'clock gets 'es la'. All other hours are plural and need 'son las'.

⭐ Usage Tips

Asking for the time

The standard way to ask 'What time is it?' is always '¿Qué hora es?'. It's a key phrase to memorize!

A friendly doctor in a white coat shaking hands with a patient at the doorway of an office, symbolizing a scheduled appointment or meeting time.

When used in the context of scheduling, *hora* refers to a specific time or an appointment, such as meeting a doctor.

hora(Noun)

fA2
time?a specific point in time, a moment
Also:appointment?a scheduled meeting,turn?one's scheduled time to do something

📝 In Action

¿A qué hora empieza la clase?

A1

What time does the class start?

Ya es hora de cenar.

A2

It's time for dinner now.

Tengo hora con la dentista el viernes.

B1

I have an appointment with the dentist on Friday.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • pedir hora – to make an appointment
  • dar la hora – to set a time / to arrange a time
  • hora de llegada – arrival time
  • hora de salida – departure time

Idioms & Expressions

  • ya era hora – it's about time!
  • en buena hora – great, good for you (can be sarcastic)

💡 Grammar Points

'Hora de' + Action

Use the pattern 'hora de + [the base form of a verb]' to say it's time to do something. For example, 'Es hora de estudiar' (It's time to study).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Confusing 'hora' and 'tiempo'

Mistake: "No tengo una hora para ayudarte."

Correction: No tengo tiempo para ayudarte. Use 'hora' for clock time or appointments. Use 'tiempo' for the general concept of time or an amount of time.

⭐ Usage Tips

Making Appointments

While 'cita' also means appointment, it's very common and natural to say you 'have an hour' ('tengo hora') or 'need an hour' ('necesito hora') with a doctor, dentist, etc.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: hora

Question 1 of 2

Your friend says, 'Nos vemos a las ocho'. What does she mean?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

horario(schedule, timetable) - noun
ahora(now) - adverb
deshora(inconvenient time) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'hora' and 'tiempo'?

'Hora' refers to the time on a clock ('¿Qué hora es?') or a specific, scheduled time (like an appointment). 'Tiempo' refers to time in a general, uncounted sense ('No tengo tiempo' / 'I don't have time') and it also means 'weather'.

Why do you say 'Es la una' but 'Son las dos'?

It's because 'una' (one) is singular, so you use the singular verb 'es'. All other numbers are plural, so you use the plural verb 'son'. It's like thinking 'It is one hour' versus 'They are two hours'.

How do I say 2:30? Is it 'dos y treinta' or 'dos y media'?

Both are correct and widely used! 'Dos y treinta' is like saying 'two-thirty', and 'dos y media' is like saying 'half-past two'. 'Media' is a shorter way of saying 'media hora' (half an hour).