Telling Time and Date with Ser (Es la una, Son las dos)
ser to define time and dates, ensuring the verb and article match the number's singularity or plurality.
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'ser' to tell time and dates, choosing 'es' for one o'clock and 'son' for all other hours.
- Use 'Es la' for 1:00 (e.g., Es la una).
- Use 'Son las' for 2:00 through 12:00 (e.g., Son las dos).
- Use 'Hoy es' for dates (e.g., Hoy es el cinco de mayo).
Overview
When learning Spanish, mastering the verb ser is fundamental, particularly for expressing time and date. Unlike English, which often uses a single form like "it is," Spanish employs ser in a dynamic way that reflects the inherent nature of time and its agreement with numerical values. This rule, foundational for A1 learners, establishes how to state what time it is, what day it is, and what the date is.
Understanding ser in this context means grasping that time, like identity or origin, is considered an essential characteristic, not a temporary state. You are not merely stating a fact; you are defining the very essence of the moment. This linguistic principle differentiates ser from estar, another verb meaning 'to be,' which Spanish reserves for temporary conditions or locations.
For a learner, recognizing this distinction is crucial for accurate and idiomatic communication regarding daily schedules and calendar events.
Conjugation Table
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English Equivalent | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| :-------- | :---------- | :----------------- | ||
yo |
soy |
I am | ||
tú |
eres |
you are (informal) | ||
él/ella/usted |
es |
he/she/you is/are (formal) | ||
nosotros/as |
somos |
we are | ||
vosotros/as |
sois |
you all are (Spain informal) | ||
ellos/ellas/ustedes |
son |
they/you all are (formal) |
How This Grammar Works
ser is governed by number agreement, a core concept in Spanish. The verb ser must match the numerical value of the hour. This isn't just an arbitrary rule; it reflects a deeper grammatical structure where hora (hour) is the implicit feminine noun.Es la una, the es agrees with the singular una (an abbreviation of una hora), and la is the feminine singular definite article modifying hora. Conversely, when you say Son las dos, son agrees with the plural dos (referring to dos horas), and las is the feminine plural definite article. This numerical and gender agreement is a consistent pattern in Spanish grammar.- Singular Hour: For 1 o'clock,
sertakes its singular third-person form,es. You useEs la una.The articlela(the feminine singular definite article) is used becausehora(hour) is a feminine noun. Even when referring to minutes past the hour, if the hour itself is one,esremains singular:Es la una y media.(It is 1:30).
- Plural Hours: For any other hour (2 through 12),
sertakes its plural third-person form,son. You useSon las [number]. For example,Son las tres.(It is 3:00). The articlelas(the feminine plural definite article) is used, again becausehorasis implied. This pattern holds for all minutes past these plural hours as well:Son las ocho y veinte.(It is 8:20).
- Special Cases:
Mediodía(noon) andmedianoche(midnight) are singular concepts, so they correctly take the singulares. For instance,Es mediodía.(It is noon). These are fixed expressions where the numerical agreement isn't directly with a number but with a singular concept of a specific time.
- Dates and Days: When stating the day of the week or the date,
seralways uses the singularesbecause the implicit subject (el día,la fecha) is singular. For example,Hoy es lunes.(Today is Monday) andHoy es el diez de marzo.(Today is March tenth). Here,elis used before the day number because the number itself is treated as a masculine noun,el diezmeaning 'the tenth day'.
Formation Pattern
ser follows clear and consistent patterns. These patterns integrate the correct form of ser (es or son) with definite articles and specific vocabulary for hours, minutes, and calendar elements.
Es la una | It is 1:00 | Es la una. |
Son las [number] | It is 3:00 | Son las tres. |
Es mediodía | It is noon | Es mediodía. |
Es medianoche | It is midnight | Es medianoche. |
y (and) followed by the number of minutes:
Es la una y diez. (It's 1:10)
Son las cinco y cuarto. (It's 5:15 - cuarto for a quarter past)
Son las siete y media. (It's 7:30 - media for half past)
menos (minus). This is a common construction, especially in Spain, and is slightly more advanced but often used by A1 learners:
Son las dos menos cuarto. (It's a quarter to two / 1:45)
Son las once menos veinte. (It's twenty to eleven / 10:40)
de la mañana (in the morning), de la tarde (in the afternoon/evening), or de la noche (at night):
Es la una de la tarde. (It's 1:00 PM)
Son las siete de la mañana. (It's 7:00 AM)
Son las diez de la noche. (It's 10:00 PM)
Hoy es [day of week] | Today is Monday | Hoy es lunes. |
Mañana es [day of week] | Tomorrow is Tuesday | Mañana es martes. |
Ayer fue [day of week] | Yesterday was Sunday | Ayer fue domingo. |
ser changes to fue (past tense) for ayer (yesterday), reflecting a completed past state.
Hoy es el [number] de [month] | Today is March 4th | Hoy es el cuatro de marzo. |
Hoy es el [number] de [month] de [year] | Today is March 4th, 2026 | Hoy es el cuatro de marzo de dos mil veintiséis. |
primero (first) is used instead of uno:
Hoy es el primero de enero. (Today is January 1st)
el precedes the day number because the number functions as a noun (el día cuatro). Months are not capitalized in Spanish.
When To Use It
ser when identifying a specific point on the clock or calendar, effectively defining the identity of the moment. This is about answering "what is it?" not "where is it?" or "how is it?" The applications cover daily interactions and planning:- To tell the current time: This is the most direct application. When someone asks
¿Qué hora es?(What time is it?), your response will always begin withEs la unaorSon las [number]. For example, if it's 6:45 PM, you would saySon las siete menos cuarto de la tarde(It's a quarter to seven in the evening) orSon las seis y cuarenta y cinco de la tarde(It's six forty-five in the evening).
- To state the day of the week: When clarifying the day, you use
es.Hoy es miércoles.(Today is Wednesday). This is essential for scheduling or simply orienting oneself in time. You might text a friend:¿Qué día es hoy? Es jueves, ¿verdad?(What day is it today? It's Thursday, right?).
- To state the calendar date: Similar to the day of the week,
serdefines the date.Hoy es el cuatro de marzo.(Today is March fourth). This is common in formal and informal contexts, like filling out forms or simply discussing current events. A cultural note: dates are often written day-month-year in Spanish-speaking countries (04/03/2026).
- To indicate the time or date of an event: When describing when something is scheduled,
seris used to establish that event's inherent time or date. However, remember to use the prepositionafor time orelfor day/date when specifying at what time or on what day. For example,La clase es a las diez.(The class is at ten).La fiesta es el sábado.(The party is on Saturday).El examen es el quince de mayo.(The exam is on May fifteenth).
- For fixed points in time:
Es mediodía(It's noon) andEs medianoche(It's midnight) are established expressions defining these specific points in the day. These are not temporary states but fixed identities of those moments.
- To specify a year: You can also use
serto state the current year or a historical year.Es el año dos mil veintiséis.(It is the year two thousand twenty-six).El evento fue en mil novecientos noventa y ocho.(The event was in nineteen ninety-eight). This reinforcesser's role in defining chronological identity.
When Not To Use It
ser is crucial for defining time and date, it's equally important to recognize situations where its use would be grammatically incorrect or semantically awkward. Misusing ser in these contexts often leads to common learner errors.- For Duration:
Serdoes not express how long something lasts. If you want to say
Time Formation Table
| Time | Verb | Article | Number |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1:00
|
Es
|
la
|
una
|
|
2:00
|
Son
|
las
|
dos
|
|
3:00
|
Son
|
las
|
tres
|
|
4:00
|
Son
|
las
|
cuatro
|
|
5:00
|
Son
|
las
|
cinco
|
|
6:00
|
Son
|
las
|
seis
|
Meanings
The verb 'ser' is used to identify the current time or the specific date.
Telling Time
Stating the current hour of the day.
“Es la una.”
“Son las ocho.”
Stating Dates
Identifying the day of the month or year.
“Hoy es lunes.”
“Hoy es el diez de octubre.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Es la / Son las + [time]
|
Es la una.
|
|
Negative
|
No es la / No son las + [time]
|
No es la una todavía.
|
|
Question
|
¿Qué hora es?
|
¿Qué hora es?
|
|
Date
|
Hoy es el [number] de [month]
|
Hoy es el diez de marzo.
|
|
First of month
|
Hoy es el primero de [month]
|
Hoy es el primero de abril.
|
|
Time with minutes
|
Son las [hour] y [minutes]
|
Son las dos y diez.
|
Formality Spectrum
¿Me podría decir qué hora es? (Asking for time)
¿Qué hora es? (Asking for time)
¿Qué hora tienes? (Asking for time)
¿Qué onda con la hora? (Asking for time)
The Ser Time Tree
Singular
- Es la una It is 1:00
Plural
- Son las dos It is 2:00
Examples by Level
Es la una.
It is one o'clock.
Son las dos.
It is two o'clock.
Hoy es lunes.
Today is Monday.
Es la una y diez.
It is 1:10.
Son las tres y media.
It is 3:30.
Hoy es el cinco de mayo.
Today is May 5th.
Son las diez menos cuarto.
It is 9:45.
Mañana es el primero de junio.
Tomorrow is June 1st.
La reunión es a las cuatro.
The meeting is at 4:00.
Hoy es el veintidós de diciembre.
Today is December 22nd.
Son las once de la noche.
It is 11:00 PM.
Es la una de la tarde.
It is 1:00 PM.
La cita es el doce de octubre.
The appointment is on October 12th.
Son las doce en punto.
It is 12:00 sharp.
Hoy es el último día del mes.
Today is the last day of the month.
Son las siete y cuarto.
It is 7:15.
Es la una y media de la madrugada.
It is 1:30 AM.
Hoy es el día de la independencia.
Today is Independence Day.
Son las ocho menos diez.
It is 7:50.
Es la una de la mañana.
It is 1:00 AM.
Hoy es el primero de enero, año nuevo.
Today is January 1st, New Year's.
Son las seis de la tarde en punto.
It is 6:00 PM sharp.
Es la una y cinco.
It is 1:05.
Son las once y media.
It is 11:30.
Easily Confused
Learners use 'está' for time.
Using 'uno' for the 1st of the month.
Using 'la' for all hours.
Common Mistakes
Es las dos
Son las dos
Son la una
Es la una
Hoy es uno de mayo
Hoy es el primero de mayo
Está las tres
Son las tres
Es las tres y cuarto
Son las tres y cuarto
Hoy es cinco de mayo
Hoy es el cinco de mayo
Son las una
Es la una
La clase está a las dos
La clase es a las dos
Es el primero mayo
Es el primero de mayo
Son las dos y quince
Son las dos y cuarto
Es la una y media de la tarde
Es la una y media de la tarde
Son las doce de la noche
Es medianoche
Hoy es el 1 de enero
Hoy es el primero de enero
Sentence Patterns
Es la ___.
Son las ___.
Hoy es el ___ de ___.
La reunión es a las ___.
Real World Usage
Nos vemos a las 8.
La entrevista es a las diez.
El tren sale a las tres.
¡Feliz primero de enero!
Llega a las siete.
Evento: 15 de mayo.
Remember the Gender
Don't use Estar
The 1:00 Exception
Dates
Smart Tips
Always use 'Es la'.
Always use 'Son las'.
Add 'el' before the number.
Use 'primero'.
Pronunciation
Linking
Link 'Es la' as 'Esla'.
Question
¿Qué hora es? ↑
Rising intonation for questions.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
One is 'Es', the rest are 'Son'. Think: 'Es' is singular, 'Son' is plural.
Visual Association
Imagine a clock with only the number 1. It is lonely, so it gets the singular 'Es'. All other numbers are a crowd, so they get the plural 'Son'.
Rhyme
One is 'Es', two through twelve is 'Son', telling time is really fun!
Story
I looked at my watch at 1:00. I said 'Es la una'. Then I waited until 2:00. I said 'Son las dos'. Time passed quickly.
Word Web
Challenge
Set your phone clock to Spanish and say the time out loud every time you check it for 5 minutes.
Cultural Notes
Time is often expressed in 24-hour format in formal settings.
People often use 'y cuarto' or 'y media' very frequently.
Time is often discussed in 15-minute increments.
Derived from Latin 'esse' (to be).
Conversation Starters
¿Qué hora es?
¿Qué día es hoy?
¿A qué hora es la fiesta?
¿Qué fecha es hoy?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
___ la una.
___ las dos.
Find and fix the mistake:
Son la una.
Es la una -> ___ las dos.
We use 'estar' for time.
A: ¿Qué hora es? B: ___.
las / Son / tres.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercises___ la una.
___ las dos.
Find and fix the mistake:
Son la una.
Es la una -> ___ las dos.
We use 'estar' for time.
A: ¿Qué hora es? B: ___.
las / Son / tres.
1:00 -> ?
Score: /8
Practice Bank
6 exercises___ la una en punto.
It is 9:00.
las / Son / ocho / y / media
Match the following:
Choose the correct sentence:
Son las uno y cuarto.
Score: /6
FAQ (8)
Because it refers to 'la hora', which is feminine.
No, time is a permanent fact, so use 'ser'.
It is 'Son las doce'.
Yes, use 'de la mañana', 'de la tarde', or 'de la noche'.
It is an ordinal number used for dates.
Es la una y media.
Yes, the grammar is universal.
You can say 'No sé qué hora es'.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Il est une heure
French uses 'il est' (impersonal) while Spanish uses 'es' (verb).
Es ist ein Uhr
German does not use articles like 'la' in the same way.
Ichiji desu
No gender or number agreement in Japanese.
Al-sa'a al-wahida
Arabic is a noun-based system.
Xiànzài yī diǎn
No verb conjugation in Chinese.
Es la una
N/A
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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