Days, Months & Telling Time

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A1 Language Objectives

By the end of this lesson you will be able to: say all 7 days of the week and 12 months in Spanish (without capitalizing them), tell time using the verb ser (es la una / son las tres), use A1 time expressions (por la manana, por la tarde), and ask and answer "What day is it?" and "What time is it?"

Time structures are among the most-used grammar patterns in any language. In Colombian Spanish, you will ask what time it is, schedule meetings, make plans with friends, and read bus and flight schedules. This lesson teaches the grammar behind time -- including a key surprise: Spanish days and months are NOT capitalized. Unlike English "Monday" and "January," Spanish uses lowercase: lunes, enero.

Making Plans in Bogota

Your Colombian friend texts you: "?Nos vemos el viernes a las siete?" (Shall we meet Friday at 7?) You need to understand the day (viernes = Friday), the time structure (a las siete = at 7), and reply with your own time. By the end of this lesson, you will handle this exchange -- and any other scheduling conversation.

Reflection

1. Days of the Week

Spanish days of the week are not capitalized (unlike English). They are also all masculine -- you will always see el lunes (the Monday), los martes (the Tuesdays).

Day	Spanish	Pronunciation	Origin
Monday	lunes	LOO-nehs	Luna (moon)
Tuesday	martes	MAHR-tehs	Marte (Mars)
Wednesday	miercoles	MYEHR-koh-lehs	Mercurio (Mercury)
Thursday	jueves	HWEH-behs	Jupiter
Friday	viernes	BYEHR-nehs	Venus
Saturday	sabado	SAH-bah-doh	Sabbath
Sunday	domingo	doh-MEEN-goh	Dominus (Lord)

Why are Spanish days not capitalized?

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In Spanish, days of the week and months are common nouns, not proper nouns. This is a fundamental rule that differs from English. Writing 'Lunes' with a capital L is a common learner error. Only capitalize if the word starts a sentence.

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How do you say 'on Monday' in Spanish?

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'El lunes.' Spanish uses the definite article (el/los) instead of a preposition. 'On Monday' = 'el lunes.' 'On Mondays' (habitual) = 'los lunes.' 'Tengo clase el lunes' = 'I have class on Monday.' 'Tengo clase los lunes' = 'I have class on Mondays.'

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Pronunciation check: How do you say 'miercoles'?

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MYEHR-koh-lehs. This is an esdrujula (stress on third-to-last syllable), so it always has a written accent. Apply your Lesson 4 rules: the accent mark tells you to override the default stress pattern.

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Knowledge Check

How would you write 'Tuesday' in Spanish?

Knowledge Check

How do you say 'on Fridays' (habitual/every Friday)?

2. Months of the Year

Like days, months are not capitalized in Spanish. They are also used without an article (unlike days).

Month	Spanish	Pronunciation
January	enero	eh-NEH-roh
February	febrero	feh-BREH-roh
March	marzo	MAHR-soh
April	abril	ah-BREEL
May	mayo	MAH-yoh
June	junio	HOO-nyoh
July	julio	HOO-lyoh
August	agosto	ah-GOHS-toh
September	septiembre	sehp-TYEHM-breh
October	octubre	ohk-TOO-breh
November	noviembre	noh-BYEHM-breh
December	diciembre	dee-SYEHM-breh

How do you say a date in Spanish?

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Day + de + month + de + year. 'El quince de marzo de dos mil veintiseis' = March 15, 2026. Note the order: day comes FIRST (not month-day like American English). '?Que fecha es hoy?' = 'What is today's date?'

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How do you say 'in January'?

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'En enero.' Months use the preposition 'en' (in): 'En enero hace frio en Bogota' = 'In January it is cold in Bogota.' No article needed: 'en enero,' NOT 'en el enero.'

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Booking a Tour in Cartagena

The tour operator asks: "?Para que fecha?" (For what date?) You answer: "El veinte de abril." (April 20th.) She confirms: "Perfecto. El veinte de abril, un viernes. Son ochenta mil pesos." You just used days, months, dates, and numbers from Lesson 6 in a single real-world interaction.

Quick Check-in

3. Telling Time with Ser

Time in Spanish uses the verb ser (to be). This is the same ser you learned in Lesson 5 for identity (soy colombiano). Time is considered a fact of identity, not a temporary state, so it uses ser instead of estar.

The Key Rule

Es la una. = It is 1:00. (Singular -- es + la una)
Son las dos. = It is 2:00. (Plural -- son + las + number)
Son las tres. = It is 3:00.
Son las diez. = It is 10:00.

Why the difference? "One o'clock" is a single hour, so it uses the singular form es la una. All other hours are plural, so they use son las + number.

Why does time use 'ser' instead of 'estar'?

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Time is treated as an objective fact, not a changeable condition. '?Que hora es?' (What time is it?) uses 'ser.' Compare: '?Como esta?' (How are you?) uses 'estar' because your condition changes. Time does not -- at this moment, it IS 3:00, objectively.

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How do you say 'at 3:00'?

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'A las tres.' The preposition 'a' means 'at' for time. 'La clase es a las tres' = 'The class is at 3:00.' For 1:00: 'a la una' (singular). For all other hours: 'a las + number' (plural).

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Knowledge Check

How do you say 'It is 1:00'?

Adding Minutes

Time	Spanish	Structure
3:15	Son las tres y quince	hour + y + minutes
3:30	Son las tres y media	hour + y media (half)
3:45	Son las cuatro menos quince	next hour + menos + minutes remaining
3:10	Son las tres y diez	hour + y + minutes
3:50	Son las cuatro menos diez	next hour + menos + minutes remaining

Two ways to say 3:45

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Method 1 (traditional): 'Son las cuatro menos quince' (four minus fifteen). Method 2 (increasingly common): 'Son las tres y cuarenta y cinco' (three and forty-five). Both are correct. The 'menos' method is traditional; the direct method is simpler.

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Knowledge Check

How do you say 'It is 5:30'?

4. Time Expressions for Daily Life

These A1 time expressions let you talk about parts of the day without specifying exact hours.

Expression	Meaning	Example
por la manana	in the morning	Trabajo por la manana.
por la tarde	in the afternoon	Estudio por la tarde.
por la noche	in the evening/night	Salimos por la noche.
de la manana	AM (specific time)	Son las ocho de la manana. (8 AM)
de la tarde	PM afternoon	Son las tres de la tarde. (3 PM)
de la noche	PM evening	Son las nueve de la noche. (9 PM)

'Por la' vs. 'De la' -- The Difference

'Por la manana/tarde/noche' = general time of day

No specific hour. "Estudio por la manana" = "I study in the morning" (sometime during the morning, no exact hour).

'De la manana/tarde/noche' = with a specific hour

Specifies AM/PM. "Son las ocho de la manana" = "It is 8:00 AM." You attach it to a specific time to clarify whether it is morning, afternoon, or night.

Scheduling a Meeting

Your colleague says: "?A que hora nos reunimos?" (What time shall we meet?) You respond: "?Le parece a las dos de la tarde?" (Does 2 PM work for you?) They confirm: "Perfecto. El jueves a las dos de la tarde." (Perfect. Thursday at 2 PM.) You just combined day (el jueves), time (a las dos), and AM/PM (de la tarde) in one sentence.

Knowledge Check

What is the difference between 'por la manana' and 'de la manana'?

Reflection

5. Asking About Days and Time

Question	Answer Pattern
?Que dia es hoy? (What day is today?)	Hoy es lunes. (Today is Monday.)
?Que fecha es hoy? (What is today's date?)	Hoy es el quince de marzo.
?Que hora es? (What time is it?)	Son las tres y media de la tarde.
?A que hora...? (At what time...?)	A las cinco de la tarde.

'?Que hora es?' vs. '?A que hora?'

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'?Que hora es?' = What time is it RIGHT NOW? (asking the current time). '?A que hora es la clase?' = At what time is the class? (asking when something happens). The 'a' changes the question from 'what time is it' to 'at what time.'

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How do you say today's date?

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Hoy es el [number] de [month] de [year]. 'Hoy es el veintiuno de marzo de dos mil veintiseis.' Day first, then month, then year. Note: the first of the month is 'el primero' (not 'el uno'): 'el primero de enero.'

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Self-Rating

6. Key Takeaways

What You Learned Today

Days and months are NOT capitalized

lunes, martes, enero, febrero -- all lowercase. This is a fundamental rule of Spanish orthography.

Time uses ser (not estar)

Es la una. Son las dos. Son las diez y media. Time is an objective fact, so it uses ser.

Singular for 1:00, plural for everything else

'Es la una' (singular). 'Son las tres' (plural). The verb form changes based on whether the hour is one or more than one.

'Por la' = general, 'de la' = specific

This Week's Practice

Daily time check: Every time you look at a clock, say the time in Spanish. "Son las... y..."

Day drill: Each morning, say: "Hoy es [day]. Es el [number] de [month]."

Scheduling practice: Imagine scheduling three activities this week. Say each one aloud: "El miercoles a las tres de la tarde," "El viernes a las ocho de la noche," etc.

Calendar review: Look at your calendar for this week and say each event's day and time in Spanish.

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Spanish Assistant

Loading Quiz...

Lesson discussion

Leave a comment

1. Days of the Week

2. Months of the Year

3. Telling Time with Ser

The Key Rule

Adding Minutes

4. Time Expressions for Daily Life

'Por la' vs. 'De la' -- The Difference

'Por la manana/tarde/noche' = general time of day

'De la manana/tarde/noche' = with a specific hour

5. Asking About Days and Time

6. Key Takeaways

What You Learned Today

Days and months are NOT capitalized

Time uses ser (not estar)

Singular for 1:00, plural for everything else

'Por la' = general, 'de la' = specific

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•••Your Learning Path

•••Your Support

•••Bogotá

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Spanish Assistant

Days, Months & Telling Time

Loading Quiz...

Lesson discussion

Leave a comment

1. Days of the Week

2. Months of the Year

3. Telling Time with Ser

The Key Rule

Adding Minutes

4. Time Expressions for Daily Life

'Por la' vs. 'De la' -- The Difference

'Por la manana/tarde/noche' = general time of day

'De la manana/tarde/noche' = with a specific hour

5. Asking About Days and Time

6. Key Takeaways

What You Learned Today

Days and months are NOT capitalized

Time uses ser (not estar)

Singular for 1:00, plural for everything else

'Por la' = general, 'de la' = specific

Home

Your Learning Path

Your Support

Bogotá

Resources