hoy
/oy/
This picture shows an activity happening during the day. 'Hoy' points to this specific, current day.
hoy (Adverb)
📝 In Action
Hoy es mi cumpleaños.
A1Today is my birthday.
¿Qué vas a hacer hoy?
A1What are you going to do today?
Hoy por la mañana, fui a correr.
A2This morning, I went for a run.
💡 Grammar Points
Pointing to Time
'Hoy' tells you WHEN something happens. It's a special word that always stays the same; you never need to change its ending.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing 'Hoy' and 'Ahora'
Mistake: "Using 'hoy' to mean 'right now'."
Correction: Use 'hoy' for the whole day ('today') and 'ahora' for this very moment ('now'). Think: 'Hoy voy al cine' (Today I'm going to the movies) vs. 'Ahora estoy comiendo' (Right now I'm eating).
⭐ Usage Tips
Easy Placement
You can usually put 'hoy' at the beginning or the end of your sentence. Both 'Hoy voy al mercado' and 'Voy al mercado hoy' sound perfectly natural.
Here, 'hoy' means more than just one day. It refers to our current time or the modern world, as shown by the new technology.
hoy (Noun)
📝 In Action
Hoy en día, casi todos tienen un teléfono.
A2Nowadays, almost everyone has a phone.
El mundo de hoy es muy diferente al de nuestros abuelos.
B1Today's world is very different from our grandparents'.
Hay que vivir el hoy y no preocuparse tanto por el mañana.
B2One must live in the present and not worry so much about tomorrow.
💡 Grammar Points
Talking About 'The Present'
When you use 'hoy' to mean 'the present time', it often acts like a noun, a thing. You can even put 'el' in front of it: 'el hoy'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Misinterpreting 'Hoy en día'
Mistake: "Thinking 'Hoy en día' means 'today in the day'."
Correction: This is a set phrase that always means 'nowadays' or 'these days'. It's about the general present, not this specific 24-hour period.
⭐ Usage Tips
Sounding More Advanced
Using phrases like 'hoy en día' or talking about 'el mundo de hoy' is a great way to discuss bigger ideas and make your Spanish sound more fluent.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: hoy
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'hoy' to mean 'nowadays' or 'the present era'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the 'h' in 'hoy' silent?
In Spanish, the letter 'h' is almost always silent! It comes from the Latin word 'hodie'. Even though the spelling kept the 'h', the sound was lost over many centuries. Just pretend it's not there and say 'oy'.
What's the difference between 'hoy', 'ahora', and 'actualmente'?
'Hoy' means 'today' (the whole day). 'Ahora' means 'now' (this very moment). 'Actualmente' is closer to 'currently' or 'nowadays', and is a good synonym for the phrase 'hoy en día'.