Wednesday 29 October 2014

Hora

Today's WOTD is: "hora" = hour
In Spanish, “hora” is a feminine noun of Latin origin, the main meaning of which is hour, as in:
  • El vuelo salió con un par de horas de retraso (the flight departed with a couple of hours delay);

The noun “hora” also means time, as in:
  • ¿Qué hora es? (what time is it?);
  • Es hora de irse (it is time to go);

A related noun is “horario” and it means schedule or time table, as in:
  • El horario de los autobuses (the bus timetable/ schedule);

Also related is the adverb “ahora”, which means now, as:
  • Ahora vamos (we are going now)


Some Spanish expressions with the word “hora” are:
  • ¿A qué hora... ? (at what time/ when?);
    • ¿A qué hora abren los bancos? (when/ at what time do the banks open?);
  • A buena hora* (late);
    • ¡A buena hora llegas! (you are late);
  • A buenas horas* (late);
    • ¡A buenas horas llegas! (you are late);
  • A eso de las** <hora> (round about <time>);
    • Llegamos a eso de las tres (we arrived round about three);
  • A la hora de... (when it is time to/ when it comes to...);
    • A la hora de comer no falta nadie (when it comes to eating/ at meal times nobody stays away);
  • A todas horas (all the time/always);
    • A todas horas pienso en ti (I am always thinking of you);
  • A primera hora (early/ first thing);
    • Llegamos a primera hora de la tarde (we arrived early in the afternoon);
  • A última hora (towards the end);
    • Llegamos a última hora de la tarde (we arrived towards the end of the afternoon);
  • Adelantar la hora (to put the clocks forward);
    • En marzo se suele adelantar la hora (clocks are usually put forward in March);
  • Atrasar la hora (to put the clocks back);
    • En octubre se suele atrasar la hora (clocks are usually put back in October);
  • Cada hora (all the time/always);
    • Cada hora pienso en ti (I am always thinking of you);
  • Dar hora (to fix an appointment/ time);
    • El dentista me ha dado hora para mañana (the dentist has given me an appointment/ time for tomorrow);
  • Dar la hora (to tell the time);
    • El reloj ha dado las dos (the clock has struck two);
  • Entre horas (in between meals);
  • Fecha y hora (date and time);
  • Hacer horas (to work overtime);
    • A menudo tenemos que hacer horas (often we have to work overtime);
  • Hora de llegada (arrival time);
  • Hora de salida (departure time);
  • Hora punta (rush hour/ peak hour -traffic);
  • Hora solar (solar time);
  • Kilometros por hora (kilometres per hour -speed/ velocity);
  • Kilovatio hora (kilowatt hour);
  • La hora de la comida (mealtime/ lunchtime);
  • La hora de la verdad (the moment of truth);
  • Millas por hora (miles per hour -speed/ velocity);
  • Media hora (half an hour);
    • Nos llevó media hora (it took us half an hour);
  • No dar alguien ni la hora (to be mean/ stingy/ a scrooge);
    • Pedro no da ni la hora (Pedro is a scrooge);
  • Noticias de última hora (latest/ breaking news);
  • Pedir hora (to ask for an appointment);
    • He pedido hora al dentista para mañana (I have asked the dentist for an appointment for tomorrow);
  • Poner en hora (to set the time on a clock or watch);
  • Por hora (per hour -rate);
    • Íbamos a cien kilómetros por hora (we were travelling at one hundred kilometres per hour);
  • Por horas (by the hour -rate);
    • Se alquilan coches por horas (cars are rented by the hour);
  • Ser hora de... (to be time for...);
    • Es hora de comer (it is time for eating/ the time for eating has arrived).
  • Tener alguien muchas horas de vuelo (to be very experienced);
    • Pedro tiene muchas horas de vuelo (Pedro is highly experienced);
  • Tener alguien sus horas contadas (to be very close to death);
    • Pedro tiene sus horas contadas (Pedro is very close to death);
  • Tres cuartos de hora (three quarters of an hour);
    • Nos llevó tres cuartos de hora (it took us three quarters of an hour);
  • Un cuarto de hora (a quarter of an hour);
    • Nos llevó un cuarto de hora (it took us a quarter of an hour);
  • ¡Ya era hora! (it was about time! -something is overdue);
  • Ya es hora de... (it is time to... -the time to do something has come);
    • Ya es hora de marcharse (the time to leave/ depart has come);
  • Ya iba siendo hora de... (it was about time to... -the time to do something was close to running out);
    • Ya iba siendo hora de irnos (it was about time we left/ departed -we needed to start thinking about leaving);
  • Ya va siendo hora de... (it is about time to... -the time to do something is close to running out);
    • Ya va siendo hora de irnos (it is about time we leave/ depart -we need to start thinking about leaving);
*NB Despite the literal meaning (in good time), the expression conveys the opposite meaning, i.e. late.
**NB When <time = 1>, i.e. when you mean to say “round about one”, you should change the expression to “a eso de la una”.


Love-Spanish.com loves the word "hora" in the YouTube clip: SergioDalma - A Buena Hora

For more on the word "hora", visit: Wordreference.com/es/en/ Hora

*NB 'Click' on the speaker icon next to the word “hora” in the link to hear the word pronounced.

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