Telling Time & Counting in Spanish

The standard phrase is <em>¿Qué hora es?</em> — literally "What hour is it?" You'll hear this everywhere, from a quick question on the street to a formal meeting. It works in every Spanish-speaking country without adjustment.

Both, depending on context. Everyday conversation uses the 12-hour clock, often without AM or PM because context makes it obvious. Schedules, timetables, and official documents almost always use the 24-hour clock, so knowing both is genuinely useful.

The main traps are the teens — <em>dieciséis</em>, <em>diecisiete</em> — which are written as one word, not two, and the hundreds above a thousand, where Spanish puts the comma where English puts the period. The sections below walk through each range with examples so the patterns become automatic rather than something you have to think about.

Not usually. Asking the time or talking about dates is neutral territory — <em>¿Qué hora es?</em> is polite in any setting. Where formality matters more is in the surrounding conversation, like how you address the person you're asking. The phrases here are safe to use with strangers, shopkeepers, and colleagues alike.