Bedeutung
Refers to an exact time, precisely at the hour.
Kultureller Hintergrund
In Spain, 'en punto' is taken very seriously for public events and television. The New Year's Eve chimes (Las Campanadas) at the Puerta del Sol in Madrid are the ultimate 'en punto' moment for the whole country. While social gatherings might have a 'buffer' time, professional appointments in cities like Monterrey or Mexico City use 'en punto' to signal that the 'hora mexicana' (being late) does not apply. In Buenos Aires, dinner is often very late. If someone says 'Cenamos a las diez en punto,' they are emphasizing that they don't want to wait until 11:00 PM to start eating. In Colombia, 'en punto' is often used when giving directions for bus departures (flotas), which are known for trying to leave exactly on time to beat traffic.
The 'One' Rule
Remember that 1:00 is 'Es la una en punto'. Every other hour is 'Son las...'. This is the most common A1 mistake!
No Minutes Allowed
Never say 'en punto' if there are minutes involved. It's only for :00.
Bedeutung
Refers to an exact time, precisely at the hour.
The 'One' Rule
Remember that 1:00 is 'Es la una en punto'. Every other hour is 'Son las...'. This is the most common A1 mistake!
No Minutes Allowed
Never say 'en punto' if there are minutes involved. It's only for :00.
Social Buffer
In social settings, 'en punto' is often a suggestion, but in business, it's a requirement.
Emphasis
You can add 'pero' for extra emphasis: 'A las ocho, ¡pero en punto!' (At eight, and I mean exactly eight!)
Teste dich selbst
Complete the sentence with the correct phrase for 'sharp'.
La película empieza a las siete ___.
'En punto' is the standard fixed phrase for 'sharp' in Spanish.
Which of these is the correct way to say 'It is 1:00 sharp'?
Select the correct sentence:
Time is feminine (la hora), and 'one' is singular, so we use 'Es la una'.
Fill in the missing part of the dialogue.
A: ¿A qué hora es la fiesta? B: Es a las ___ (8:00 sharp).
The phrase follows the number of the hour directly.
Match the situation to the most likely time expression.
A very formal business meeting start time.
Formal settings require the precision of 'en punto'.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenLa película empieza a las siete ___.
'En punto' is the standard fixed phrase for 'sharp' in Spanish.
Select the correct sentence:
Time is feminine (la hora), and 'one' is singular, so we use 'Es la una'.
A: ¿A qué hora es la fiesta? B: Es a las ___ (8:00 sharp).
The phrase follows the number of the hour directly.
A very formal business meeting start time.
Formal settings require the precision of 'en punto'.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenNo, 'en punto' is only for the top of the hour (e.g., 12:00). For 12:30, you would say 'y media'.
It is neutral. You can use it in any situation, from a casual meeting with friends to a formal job interview.
'En punto' is specifically for the hour mark. 'Exactamente' can be used for any time, like 'las cinco y trece exactamente'.
No, in daily conversation, we usually omit 'horas'. Just say 'las cinco en punto'.
Yes, it is a universal phrase understood from Spain to Argentina.
Yes, 'a la una en punto' means 'at one o'clock sharp'.
You would use 'exactos' or 'exactamente'. For example: 'las cinco y diez exactas'.
'En punto' is a fixed idiom. 'Al punto' usually refers to how a steak is cooked (medium-rare).
Yes, 'mediodía en punto' is very common for exactly 12:00 PM.
No, 'en punto' is invariable. It stays the same for 'la una' and 'las diez'.
Verwandte Redewendungen
A tiempo
similarOn time
Puntual
similarPunctual
Tarde
contrastLate
Exactamente
synonymExactly
Y pico
contrastAnd a bit
