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tiempos

tee-EHM-pos/ˈtjem.pos/

“tiempos” means “times” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

times, periods

Also: ages
NounmA1
A winding path illustrating different historical eras, featuring a large silhouette of a dinosaur representing prehistory, a medieval stone castle, and a stylized futuristic silver building.

📝 In Action

En aquellos tiempos, la vida era mucho más simple.

A2

In those times, life was much simpler.

Recordamos los viejos tiempos con mucha nostalgia.

B1

We remember the old times with a lot of nostalgia.

Estos son malos tiempos para la economía global.

A2

These are bad times for the global economy.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • los buenos tiempos – the good times
  • tiempos modernos – modern times

Idioms & Expressions

  • A los tiempos de Dios – When the time is right, or in God's time (when something happens naturally, not rushed).

tenses, beats

Also: halves
NounmB1
Three sequential panels illustrating verb tenses. Panel one (Past): A figure sitting next to a half-eaten sandwich. Panel two (Present): The same figure actively taking a bite of the sandwich. Panel three (Future): The figure holding a whole sandwich, anticipating eating it.

📝 In Action

Necesitas aprender los tiempos verbales del subjuntivo.

B2

You need to learn the subjunctive verb tenses.

El segundo tiempo del partido fue mucho más emocionante.

B1

The second half of the game was much more exciting.

Ella perdió el ritmo y no pudo seguir los tiempos de la música.

B1

She lost the rhythm and couldn't follow the beats of the music.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • modalidades (modes/forms (grammar))
  • ritmos (rhythms (music))

Common Collocations

  • tiempos compuestos – compound tenses (grammar)
  • cambio de tiempos – change of rhythm/tempo

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "tiempos" in Spanish:

ages→beats→halves→periods→tenses→times→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: tiempos

Question 1 of 1

Which of these sentences correctly uses 'tiempos' to mean a historical era?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
camposejemplos
📚 Etymology▼

Comes directly from the Latin word *tempus*, meaning 'time' or 'season.' It has always been connected to measuring duration and moments.

First recorded: Old Spanish (around 10th-12th century)

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: tempoFrench: temps

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'tiempos' ever mean 'weather'?

Rarely. While the singular 'tiempo' is often used for weather (e.g., 'hace buen tiempo'), the plural 'tiempos' almost exclusively means historical periods, eras, or verb tenses.

How is 'tiempos' different from 'épocas'?

'Tiempos' is very broad (like 'the times we live in'). 'Épocas' usually refers to more defined or official historical periods, like 'the Roman era' or 'the Victorian age.'