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IntermediateTime & Dates
How to express time, days, months, years and duration in Spanish, English and Chinese.
Compare languages
Spanish uses ser for clock time and estar for being late/early. English uses prepositions (at, on, in) that learners often confuse. Chinese uses 点 for hours and 分 for minutes, with 月/日/年 for dates.
Overview
Time expressions cover clock time, calendar dates, days, months, years, and duration. Each language has its own conventions.
- Spanish: Uses ser for clock time and dates. Half hours use y media (and a half) or menos (minus). Days and months are not capitalized. Date format is day/month/year.
- English: Uses prepositions (at, on, in, for) that are largely arbitrary. AM/PM or 24-hour clock. Date format is month/day/year (US) or day/month/year (UK). Months and days are capitalized.
- Chinese: Uses 点 for hours, 分 for minutes. Dates follow year-month-day order. The week starts on Monday. No prepositions for time. Duration uses 个 as a general measure.
Spanish
Telling time
Question: ¿Qué hora es? / ¿Qué hora tienes?
Full hour:
- Es la una. (It’s one o’clock. — singular)
- Son las dos. (It’s two o’clock. — plural)
- Son las tres. (It’s three o’clock.)
Minutes past:
- Son las tres y cinco. (Five past three.)
- Son las tres y cuarto. (Quarter past three.)
- Son las tres y media. (Half past three.)
Minutes to:
- Son las cuatro menos cinco. (Five to four.)
- Son las cuatro menos cuarto. (Quarter to four.)
- Son las cuatro menos veinte. (Twenty to four.)
AM/PM:
- de la mañana (AM)
- de la tarde (PM, until ~8 PM)
- de la noche (PM, after ~8 PM)
- de la madrugada (early morning, ~12-6 AM)
Days of the week
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| lunes | Monday |
| martes | Tuesday |
| miércoles | Wednesday |
| jueves | Thursday |
| viernes | Friday |
| sábado | Saturday |
| domingo | Sunday |
Key point: Days of the week are masculine and not capitalized:
- el lunes (on Monday)
- los lunes (on Mondays — plural for habitual)
- Voy el lunes. (I’m going on Monday.)
- Voy los lunes. (I go on Mondays.)
Months
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| enero | January |
| febrero | February |
| marzo | March |
| abril | April |
| mayo | May |
| junio | June |
| julio | July |
| agosto | August |
| septiembre / setiembre | September |
| octubre | October |
| noviembre | November |
| diciembre | December |
Not capitalized: Hoy es ocho de julio.
Dates
Format: day + de + month (+ de + year)
- Hoy es ocho de julio. (Today is July 8th.)
- Mi cumpleaños es el quince de mayo. (My birthday is May 15th.)
- Nací el dos de enero de mil novecientos noventa. (I was born on January 2, 1990.)
Duration and time markers
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| hace | ago | Hace dos horas. (Two hours ago.) |
| durante | during / for | Durante tres días. (For three days.) |
| desde | since / from | Desde las ocho. (Since eight o’clock.) |
| hasta | until | Hasta mañana. (Until tomorrow.) |
| por | for (in the morning) | por la mañana |
| a las | at (time) | a las tres |
| en | in (month/year) | en julio |
| de… a… | from… to… | de lunes a viernes |
estar a tiempo / tarde
- Estoy a tiempo. (I’m on time.)
- Estoy tarde. (I’m late.)
- Llego pronto. (I arrive early.)
English
Telling time
Question: What time is it? / What’s the time?
Full hour:
- It’s one o’clock.
- It’s two o’clock.
Minutes past:
- It’s three oh five. / It’s five past three.
- It’s three fifteen. / It’s quarter past three.
- It’s three thirty. / It’s half past three.
Minutes to:
- It’s three fifty-five. / It’s five to four.
- It’s three forty-five. / It’s quarter to four.
AM/PM or 24-hour:
- 3:15 PM / 15:15 (military/24-hour)
- 12:00 AM = midnight; 12:00 PM = noon
Prepositions of time
| Preposition | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| at | clock time, specific moment | at 3 o’clock, at noon, at midnight, at the moment |
| on | days, dates | on Monday, on July 4th, on my birthday |
| in | months, years, seasons, parts of day | in July, in 1995, in summer, in the morning |
| for | duration | for two hours, for three days |
| since | starting point | since 2010, since Monday |
| from… to/until | range | from Monday to Friday |
| during | within a period | during the summer |
| before / after | sequence | before lunch, after work |
| by | deadline | by Friday, by 5 PM |
Common errors:
- ❌ I will call you in Monday. → ✅ I will call you on Monday.
- ❌ I was born at 1995. → ✅ I was born in 1995.
- ❌ See you at Friday. → ✅ See you on Friday.
Days and months (capitalized)
| Day | Month |
|---|---|
| Monday | January |
| Tuesday | February |
| Wednesday | March |
| Thursday | April |
| Friday | May |
| Saturday | June |
| Sunday | July |
Capitalized: Today is Monday, July 8th.
Date formats
| Format | Example | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Month/Day/Year | July 8, 2024 | US |
| Day/Month/Year | 8 July 2024 | UK, most of world |
| ISO | 2024-07-08 | International standard |
Duration
- I lived there for three years.
- I haven’t seen him since 2010.
- I waited from 9 until 5.
- The meeting lasted two hours.
Chinese
Telling time
Question: 现在几点？ (What time is it now?)
Full hour:
- 三点。(Three o’clock.)
- 十二点。(Twelve o’clock.)
Minutes past:
- 三点零五 (3:05 — “three point zero five”)
- 三点十五分 (3:15)
- 三点半 (3:30 — “three half”)
Minutes to:
- 差五分四点 (five minutes to four — “lack five minutes four o’clock”)
- 差十分四点 (ten minutes to four)
刻 (quarter):
- 三点一刻 (quarter past three)
- 三点三刻 (quarter to four — three quarters past three)
AM/PM:
- 上午 (morning, AM)
- 下午 (afternoon, PM)
- 晚上 (evening/night)
- 中午 (noon)
- 半夜 (midnight)
Days of the week
| Chinese | Literal | English |
|---|---|---|
| 星期一 | week one | Monday |
| 星期二 | week two | Tuesday |
| 星期三 | week three | Wednesday |
| 星期四 | week four | Thursday |
| 星期五 | week five | Friday |
| 星期六 | week six | Saturday |
| 星期日 / 星期天 | week day/sun | Sunday |
Alternative: 礼拜 (religious term for week): 礼拜一 (Monday)
Months
Chinese months are simply number + 月:
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| 一月 | January |
| 二月 | February |
| 三月 | March |
| … | … |
| 十二月 | December |
Dates
Format: year + 年 + month + 月 + day + 日/号
- 二零二四年七月八日 (July 8, 2024)
- 七月八号 (July 8th — 号 is more colloquial)
Note: No preposition needed before dates in Chinese:
- 我七月八号去。(I’m going on July 8th. — no “on”)
Duration
| Expression | Example |
|---|---|
| 个 + time unit | 三个小时 (three hours) |
| 了 for completed duration | 等了三个小时 (waited three hours) |
| 以前 | 三天以前 (three days ago) |
| 以后 | 三天以后 (three days later) |
| 之内 | 三天之内 (within three days) |
| 以来 | 从…以来 (since…) |
早上/上午/中午/下午/晚上
| Time | Chinese |
|---|---|
| early morning | 早上 / 清晨 |
| morning | 上午 |
| noon | 中午 |
| afternoon | 下午 |
| evening | 晚上 |
| late night | 夜里 |
Comparison at a glance
| Feature | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clock time question | ¿Qué hora es? | What time is it? | 现在几点？ |
| Hours | las + number | number + o’clock | number + 点 |
| Minutes | y + number / menos + number | past / to / AM / PM | 分 (minute) |
| Half hour | y media | half past / thirty | 点半 / 点半 |
| Quarter | cuarto | quarter | 一刻 |
| Days of week | lunes, martes… | Monday, Tuesday… | 星期一, 星期二… |
| Months | enero, febrero… | January, February… | 一月, 二月… |
| Date format | day/month/year | month/day/year (US) | year/month/day |
| Date preposition | el + day / en + month | on + day / in + month | No preposition |
| Duration | durante / hace / desde | for / since / from | 个 + unit + 了 |
| AM/PM | de la mañana / tarde / noche | AM / PM | 上午 / 下午 / 晚上 |
| Capitalization | None | Days/Months | None |
Examples
In Context
| Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|
| Tengo una reunión a las tres de la tarde el lunes. | I have a meeting at 3 PM on Monday. | 我星期一下午三点有会。 |
| Viví allí durante tres años. / Hace tres años que vivo allí. | I lived there for three years. | 我在那儿住了三年。 |
| Nos vemos el ocho de julio. | See you on July 8th. | 七月八号见。 |
Common mistakes
-
English speakers learning Spanish: Capitalizing months/days: Enero → enero
-
Spanish speakers learning English: Wrong prepositions: I go at Monday → I go on Monday
-
English speakers learning Chinese: Adding prepositions to dates: 在七月八号 → acceptable but unnecessary; 七月八号 is more natural
-
Chinese speakers learning English: Omitting prepositions: I go Monday → I go on Monday
Related topics
- Numbers: How numbers are used in time expressions
- Prepositions: How time prepositions work
- Verb Tenses: How time expressions interact with tense
- Aspect: How duration and completion are expressed
Examples
What time is it?
¿Qué hora es?
It is 3:15
Son las tres y cuarto
Today is Monday
Hoy es lunes
On Monday
el lunes
In July
en julio
1995
mil novecientos noventa y cinco
Duration (for 3 hours)
durante tres horas / hace tres horas
Since / from
desde
Examples
What time is it?
What time is it?
It is 3:15
It's three fifteen / quarter past three
Today is Monday
Today is Monday
On Monday
on Monday
In July
in July
1995
nineteen ninety-five
Duration (for 3 hours)
for three hours / three hours ago
Since / from
since / from
Examples
What time is it?
现在几点？
It is 3:15
三点十五分 / 三点一刻
Today is Monday
今天星期一
On Monday
星期一
In July
七月
1995
一九九五年
Duration (for 3 hours)
三个小时 (了) / 三个小时以前
Since / from
从...起 / 以来
Comparison at a glance
| Grammar concepts | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| What time is it? | ¿Qué hora es? | What time is it? | 现在几点？ |
| It is 3:15 | Son las tres y cuarto | It's three fifteen / quarter past three | 三点十五分 / 三点一刻 |
| Today is Monday | Hoy es lunes | Today is Monday | 今天星期一 |
| On Monday | el lunes | on Monday | 星期一 |
| In July | en julio | in July | 七月 |
| 1995 | mil novecientos noventa y cinco | nineteen ninety-five | 一九九五年 |
| Duration (for 3 hours) | durante tres horas / hace tres horas | for three hours / three hours ago | 三个小时 (了) / 三个小时以前 |
| Since / from | desde | since / from | 从...起 / 以来 |
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Side-by-side comparison
| Grammar concepts | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| What time is it? | ¿Qué hora es? | What time is it? | 现在几点？ |
| It is 3:15 | Son las tres y cuarto | It's three fifteen / quarter past three | 三点十五分 / 三点一刻 |
| Today is Monday | Hoy es lunes | Today is Monday | 今天星期一 |
| On Monday | el lunes | on Monday | 星期一 |
| In July | en julio | in July | 七月 |
| 1995 | mil novecientos noventa y cinco | nineteen ninety-five | 一九九五年 |
| Duration (for 3 hours) | durante tres horas / hace tres horas | for three hours / three hours ago | 三个小时 (了) / 三个小时以前 |
| Since / from | desde | since / from | 从...起 / 以来 |
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Examples in context
What time is it?
Spanish
¿Qué hora es?
English
What time is it?
Chinese
现在几点？
It is 3:15
Spanish
Son las tres y cuarto
English
It's three fifteen / quarter past three
Chinese
三点十五分 / 三点一刻
Today is Monday
Spanish
Hoy es lunes
English
Today is Monday
Chinese
今天星期一
On Monday
Spanish
el lunes
English
on Monday
Chinese
星期一
In July
Spanish
en julio
English
in July
Chinese
七月
1995
Spanish
mil novecientos noventa y cinco
English
nineteen ninety-five
Chinese
一九九五年
Duration (for 3 hours)
Spanish
durante tres horas / hace tres horas
English
for three hours / three hours ago
Chinese
三个小时 (了) / 三个小时以前
Since / from
Spanish
desde
English
since / from
Chinese
从...起 / 以来
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Key Takeaways
Spanish: Uses ser for clock time and dates. Half hours use y media (and a half) or menos (minus). Days and months are not capitalized. Date format is.
English: Uses prepositions (at, on, in, for) that are largely arbitrary. AM/PM or 24-hour clock. Date format is month/day/year (US) or day/month/year.
Chinese: Uses 点 for hours, 分 for minutes. Dates follow year-month-day order. The week starts on Monday. No prepositions for time. Duration use. Chinese uses 点 for hours and 分 for minutes, with
Key concepts compared: What time is it?, It is 3:15, Today is Monday.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does English use three different prepositions for time ('at,' 'on,' 'in') while Spanish uses 'a,' 'en,' and Chinese uses no preposition at all?
How does Chinese year-month-day ordering differ from English and Spanish conventions, and why does it cause data-entry errors?
Why does Spanish distinguish 'ser' for clock time from 'estar' for punctuality, and why do English and Chinese speakers find this distinction unnecessary?
References
- Nueva gramática de la lengua española — Real Academia Española / Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española, 2010
- The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language — Huddleston & Pullum, Cambridge University Press, 2002
- A Comprehensive Grammar of the Modern Chinese Language — Li & Thompson, 1981
Last updated: June 4, 2026