Spanish Time Expressions
Master 31 essential Spanish phrases for time-expressions with translations, context, and usage examples
Understanding Spanish time-expressions Phrases
Master Spanish time expressions for discussing past, present, and future. Learn phrases for talking about duration, moments, periods, and temporal relationships in Spanish.
When to Use These Phrases
Use "hace" for time passed: "Hace dos días" (Two days ago). Use "desde" for starting point: "Desde 2020" (Since 2020). "Dentro de" for future: "Dentro de una semana" (In a week). Learn to distinguish ongoing vs completed time.
Learning Tips for time-expressions Phrases
- Past: "Hace + time" (ago), "Ayer" (yesterday), "La semana pasada" (last week)
- Present: "Ahora" (now), "Hoy" (today), "En este momento" (right now)
- Future: "Mañana" (tomorrow), "Dentro de + time" (in/within), "La próxima semana" (next week)
- Duration: "Durante" (during), "Por" (for), "Desde...hasta" (from...to)
Essential time-expressions Phrases
Start with these commonly used expressions for time-expressions situations
Complete List of time-expressions Phrases
A long time ago
Hace mucho tiempo
All day
Todo el día
As soon as possible
Lo antes posible
At night
por la noche
at the end of the day
al fin y al cabo
day after tomorrow
pasado mañana
day before yesterday
anteayer
Dinner
La cena
from time to time
de vez en cuando
Good evening
Buenas tardes
How long does it take to get to...?
¿Cuánto se tarda en llegar a...?
Hurry up
¡Date prisa!
I was about to
Iba a...
In the afternoon
por la tarde
in the morning
por la mañana
It is two thirty
Son las dos y media
It's about time
Ya era hora
Last month
El mes pasado
Last night
Anoche
Lunch
El almuerzo
Next week
la próxima semana
Next year
El año que viene
Right now
Ahora mismo
See you tomorrow
Nos vemos mañana
This morning
Esta mañana
Today is Monday
Hoy es lunes
Tomorrow morning
Mañana por la mañana
What day is it today?
¿Qué día es hoy?
What is the date today?
¿Cuál es la fecha de hoy?
what time is breakfast
¿A qué hora es el desayuno?
What time is checkout?
¿A qué hora es la salida?
Frequently Asked Questions About Spanish time-expressions Phrases
How do you say "ago" in Spanish?
Use "hace" before time: "Hace dos días" (Two days ago), "Hace un año" (A year ago), "Hace mucho tiempo" (A long time ago). For questions: "¿Hace cuánto?" (How long ago?). Past: "Hace + time + que + past tense."
How do you express duration in Spanish?
Use "durante" (during) or "por" (for): "Durante dos horas" (During/For two hours), "Por tres semanas" (For three weeks). Ongoing: "Desde hace" (for/since): "Vivo aquí desde hace cinco años" (I've lived here for five years).
How do you talk about the past, present, and future in Spanish?
Past: "Ayer" (yesterday), "Anteayer" (day before yesterday), "La semana pasada" (last week). Present: "Hoy" (today), "Ahora" (now), "Actualmente" (currently). Future: "Mañana" (tomorrow), "La próxima semana" (next week), "En el futuro" (in the future).
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