Inklingo

How to Say "ages" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “ages” is “tiempos” — use 'tiempos' when referring to past eras or historical periods in a general sense, often with a nostalgic or reflective tone.

English → Spanish

tiempos

tee-EHM-posˈtjem.pos

nounA1general
Use 'tiempos' when referring to past eras or historical periods in a general sense, often with a nostalgic or reflective tone.
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.

Examples

En aquellos tiempos, la vida era mucho más simple.

In those times, life was much simpler.

Recordamos los viejos tiempos con mucha nostalgia.

We remember the old times with a lot of nostalgia.

Estos son malos tiempos para la economía global.

These are bad times for the global economy.

Plural vs. Singular

While 'tiempo' (singular) often means 'time' or 'weather,' 'tiempos' (plural) almost always means historical periods, eras, or the general state of things.

milenio

mee-LEH-nyohmiˈlenjo

nounA2general
Use 'milenio' when speaking about a millennium or, more figuratively, a very long, significant period of time, often implying a major shift or beginning.
A vast, ancient forest with giant, thick-trunked trees growing through several layers of fallen leaves, representing a long passage of time.

Examples

Estamos viviendo en el inicio de un nuevo milenio.

We are living in the beginning of a new millennium.

El tercer milenio comenzó en el año 2001.

The third millennium began in the year 2001.

Esa pirámide ha estado allí por más de un milenio.

That pyramid has been there for more than a millennium.

Gender of Time Words

This is a 'masculine' word, so you always use 'el' or 'un' with it (el milenio, un milenio).

Using 'Hace' with Time

To say 'a millennium ago,' use the word 'hace' before 'un milenio.' It works just like saying 'hace diez minutos' (ten minutes ago).

The Double 'L' Trap

Mistake: “millenio”

Correction: milenio (with only one 'L'). English uses two, but Spanish only needs one.

eras

EH-rahsˈeɾas

nounB1general
Choose 'eras' when referring to distinct, often geological or historical, epochs or very long, defined periods of time.
A visual representation of geological time, showing a vertical cross-section of the earth with distinct layers, featuring dinosaurs in the bottom layer, and ancient ruins in the layer above it, symbolizing different ages.

Examples

Los dinosaurios vivieron en eras geológicas pasadas.

Dinosaurs lived in past geological eras.

El libro describe las diferentes eras de la historia del arte.

The book describes the different eras of art history.

Estamos entrando en nuevas eras de exploración espacial.

We are entering new eras of space exploration.

Always Feminine

This word is the plural of 'la era', so 'eras' is always feminine. Remember to use feminine words like 'las' or 'muchas' with it: 'las eras pasadas' (the past eras).

Confusing with the Verb

Mistake: “La historia se divide en muchos eras.”

Correction: La historia se divide en muchas eras. The context is your best clue. If the sentence is about history or time, it's this noun. If it's about what 'you' (tú) used to be, it's the verb.

siglo

SEE-gloˈsiɣlo

nounB2general
Employ 'siglo' primarily when you want to express that something feels like it has taken an extremely long time, emphasizing the subjective feeling of duration.
A deep, winding river flowing through a lush valley, disappearing into a distant, misty horizon, representing an extremely long, indefinite time.

Examples

Parece un siglo desde la última vez que fuimos de vacaciones.

It feels like ages since the last time we went on vacation.

¡Qué lento es este trámite! Llevo esperando un siglo.

This process is so slow! I've been waiting forever (literally: a century).

Use with 'Hacer'

You often use 'siglo' with the verb 'hacer' (hace un siglo) to mean 'it was a long time ago' or 'ages ago'.

Figurative vs. Literal Time

Learners often confuse 'tiempos' and 'siglo' when trying to express a long duration. Remember that 'tiempos' usually refers to actual historical periods, while 'siglo' is best for the *feeling* of a very long time, like 'it feels like ages'.

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.