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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