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tiempo

tyem-poˈtjempo

time

Also: age, spell
NounmA1
A sun on the left and a moon on the right of a simple landscape, representing the passage of time from day to night.

📝 In Action

No tengo mucho tiempo libre.

A1

I don't have a lot of free time.

¿Cuánto tiempo necesitas para terminar?

A2

How much time do you need to finish?

El tiempo lo cura todo.

B1

Time heals all wounds.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

  • a tiempo – on time
  • pasar el tiempo – to pass the time
  • perder el tiempo – to waste time
  • con el tiempo – over time / in time

Idioms & Expressions

  • matar el tiempo – to kill time
  • dar tiempo al tiempo – to let things take their course, be patient

weather

NounmA1
A sky showing multiple weather conditions at once: a sun, a cloud, and wind blowing leaves.

📝 In Action

¿Qué tiempo hace hoy?

A1

What's the weather like today?

Hace buen tiempo para ir a la playa.

A1

It's nice weather to go to the beach.

El pronóstico del tiempo dice que lloverá mañana.

A2

The weather forecast says it will rain tomorrow.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • hacer buen/mal tiempo – to be good/bad weather
  • el pronóstico del tiempo – the weather forecast
  • el hombre/la mujer del tiempo – the weatherman/weatherwoman

era, period

Also: age, season
NounmB1
People dressed in clothing from a historical era, such as ancient Rome, standing near a column.

📝 In Action

En tiempos de los romanos, la vida era muy diferente.

B1

In Roman times, life was very different.

En mis tiempos de estudiante, leía mucho.

B1

In my student days, I read a lot.

Es tiempo de cosecha.

B2

It's harvest time.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • época (era, period)
  • era (era)

Common Collocations

  • los viejos tiempos – the old days
  • en tiempos de guerra – in times of war

tense

Also: half, time
NounmB2formal
A horizontal arrow with three dots on it, representing past, present, and future.

📝 In Action

Hoy vamos a estudiar los tiempos verbales del pasado.

B1

Today we are going to study the past verb tenses.

El primer tiempo del partido terminó en empate.

B2

The first half of the match ended in a draw.

El director marcó el tiempo con su batuta.

C1

The conductor marked the time with his baton.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

  • tiempo verbal – verb tense
  • primer/segundo tiempo – first/second half (sports)

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "tiempo" in Spanish:

age→era→half→period→season→spell→tense→time→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: tiempo

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'tiempo' to talk about the weather?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
ejemplotemplocontemplo
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin word 'tempus'. Interestingly, 'tempus' meant both 'time' (a stretch of time) and 'weather', which is why Spanish uses the same word for these two different ideas today.

First recorded: Around the 10th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: tempoFrench: tempsItalian: tempoEnglish: temporary, tempo

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does 'tiempo' mean both 'time' and 'weather'?

It comes from the Latin word 'tempus', which covered both meanings. Many Romance languages, like French ('temps') and Portuguese ('tempo'), kept this double meaning. Think of weather as 'the state of things at this time'.

What is the difference between 'tiempo', 'vez', and 'hora'?

It's a common point of confusion! Use 'tiempo' for time as a general concept ('I need more time'). Use 'hora' for the time on a clock ('It's 3 o'clock'). Use 'vez' for a specific instance or occasion ('I went there one time').

How do I say 'on time'?

The phrase for 'on time' is 'a tiempo'. For example, 'El tren llegó a tiempo' means 'The train arrived on time'.