What Is 1:35 in Spanish? | Time Phrases That Stick

Most speakers say 1:35 as “Es la una y treinta y cinco,” and many people say it as “Son las dos menos veinticinco.”

You’ve got a time on the screen: 1:35. You want the Spanish that sounds natural, not like you translated a clock app. Good news: Spanish gives you two clean, daily ways to say it, and both are correct.

This post shows the phrases, when each one fits, and how to answer follow-up questions like “a.m. or p.m.?” or “at 1:35.” You’ll leave knowing what to say, how to write it, and how to avoid the common slip-ups that make learners freeze.

What 1:35 Means On The Clock

On a 12-hour clock, 1:35 is thirty-five minutes past one. Spanish can express that the same way you do in English: hour + minutes.

Spanish can also flip the focus after the half hour and speak from the next hour backward. That’s why you’ll hear people treat 1:35 as “twenty-five to two.” Both patterns show up in daily speech.

What Is 1:35 in Spanish? With Two Common Styles

If you want the direct, digital-clock style, say:

• Es la una y treinta y cinco.

If you want the “to the next hour” style, say:

• Son las dos menos veinticinco.

Both lines mean the same time. The choice is about preference and region. If you’re speaking with one person and you want a safe, standard option, the first line is easy and clear.

Why “Es” Sometimes Switches To “Son”

Spanish treats the hour like the subject of the sentence. One o’clock is singular, so it goes with es:

• Es la una.

All other hours are plural, so they go with son:

• Son las dos.Son las tres.Son las siete.

The Diccionario panhispánico de dudas (entrada “hora”) spells out this pattern and shows the common models people use in different places.

Choosing Between “Y” And “Menos”

Think of y as “and”: it adds minutes after the hour. Think of menos as “minus”: it subtracts minutes from the next hour.

So, for 1:35 you can either add 35 to 1, or subtract 25 from 2. Both land on the same point in time.

Saying 1:35 In Spanish In A Full Sentence

Knowing the time phrase is step one. Step two is using it in the sentence you’ll say in real life.

Answering “¿Qué hora es?”

Most of the time you’re replying to “What time is it?” You can answer with either style:

• —¿Qué hora es? —Es la una y treinta y cinco.
• —¿Qué hora es? —Son las dos menos veinticinco.

If you’re unsure which your listener expects, go with the y pattern. It stays readable for learners and native speakers alike.

Saying When Something Happens: “A La(s)”

When you mean “at 1:35,” Spanish typically uses a + the time:

• La reunión es a la una y treinta y cinco.
• Salgo a las dos menos veinticinco.

This is the part people skip when they translate in their head. If you say only the time, you’re fine in a quick reply. In a plan, invitation, or schedule, add a.

How Spanish Handles a.m. And p.m.

Spanish often clarifies the part of the day with short add-ons:

• de la mañana (morning)
• de la tarde (afternoon)
• de la noche (night)
• de la madrugada (late night / early morning)

So you might say:

• Es la una y treinta y cinco de la tarde.
• Es la una y treinta y cinco de la madrugada.

The Real Academia Española gives guidance on writing and expressing times with these day-part phrases, including the preference for writing the full expression in words in narrative text and not mixing words with digits. See Ortografía básica: “La expresión de la hora”.

Pronunciation Tips That Make 1:35 Sound Natural

Spanish time phrases are short, so tiny pronunciation habits stand out. Here are the ones that clean up your speech fast.

Link The Words: “Una-y” And “Dos-menos”

In smooth speech, people link the last vowel into the next word. You’ll hear something close to:

• Es la una y … (as one connected chunk)
• Son las dos menos … (as one connected chunk)

Say “Treinta Y Cinco” Like One Beat

Don’t pause after treinta. Keep it flowing: trein-ta-y-cin-co. It comes out like a single unit.

Keep The Stress Clean On “Veinticinco”

Veinticinco has the stress on cin: ve-in-ti-CIN-co. If you stress the wrong part, listeners still get you, and it can sound hesitant.

Common Variants You’ll Hear Around 1:35

Once you can say 1:35, nearby times fall into place. Here’s a quick sweep that shows the pattern and builds confidence.

Using “Y” Before Half Past

From :01 to :30, the y pattern dominates in many places:

• Es la una y diez.
• Es la una y veinte.
• Es la una y media.

Using “Menos” After Half Past

From :31 to :59, a lot of speakers switch to the next hour:

• Son las dos menos veinte. (1:40)
• Son las dos menos diez. (1:50)

The RAE’s style guidance lays out the two main clock models (12-hour and 24-hour) and how they’re written, including how midnight can appear as 00:00 or 24:00 in the 24-hour system. See Modelos de expresión de la hora (RAE).

Time Phrases Table For 1:35 And Nearby Minutes

If you want a fast reference, this table maps common times around 1:35 into both speaking styles. Pick one style and stick with it while you practice.

Clock Time	Hour + Minutes (Y)	Next Hour Back (Menos)
1:05	Es la una y cinco	Son las dos menos cincuenta y cinco
1:15	Es la una y cuarto	Son las dos menos cuarenta y cinco
1:25	Es la una y veinticinco	Son las dos menos treinta y cinco
1:30	Es la una y media	Son las dos menos treinta
1:35	Es la una y treinta y cinco	Son las dos menos veinticinco
1:45	Es la una y cuarenta y cinco	Son las dos menos cuarto
1:55	Es la una y cincuenta y cinco	Son las dos menos cinco
2:00	Son las dos en punto	Son las dos en punto

Writing 1:35 In Spanish For Texts, Notes, And Schedules

Speech and writing overlap, yet they aren’t identical. In a message to a friend, you might write “1:35” and call it a day. In formal writing, Spanish style guides often prefer consistency: either all words or all digits, not a mix.

Digits: “1:35” Or “13:35”

On signs, tickets, and timetables, you’ll often see the 24-hour clock. That turns 1:35 p.m. into 13:35. If your context is a schedule, this format removes doubt about morning or afternoon.

Words: “La una y treinta y cinco”

In narrative text, writing the time out in words can read smoother. RAE style guidance recommends choosing one system and sticking to it instead of mixing words with digits.

Quick Practice That Locks In 1:35

Practice works best when it looks like your day. Try these mini drills. Say them out loud, not just in your head.

Drill 1: Ask And Answer In One Breath

• ¿Qué hora es? — Es la una y treinta y cinco.
• ¿Qué hora es? — Son las dos menos veinticinco.

Drill 2: Turn It Into A Plan

• La clase empieza a la una y treinta y cinco.
• El tren sale a las dos menos veinticinco.

Drill 3: Shift The Day Part

• Es la una y treinta y cinco de la tarde.
• Es la una y treinta y cinco de la madrugada.

If you want a guided activity built for learners, the Centro Virtual Cervantes has an A1 task on asking for and giving the time: Pedir y dar la hora (CVC).

Mistakes People Make At 1:35 And How To Fix Them

These are the slips that pop up again and again. Fixing them takes your Spanish from “understandable” to “smooth.”

Saying “Es Las Dos”

This one is a classic. One o’clock is singular: es la una. All other hours are plural: son las dos, son las tres.

Forgetting The Article “La/Las”

In Spanish, you normally include the article: es la una, son las dos. Dropping it can sound clipped and can distract your listener.

Mixing Styles Mid-Sentence

Pick a pattern and ride it. If you start with menos, finish with menos. If you start with y, finish with y. Mixing can make the time feel like a puzzle.

Using The Wrong Next Hour With “Menos”

For 1:35, the next hour is two. So it’s son las dos menos veinticinco, not “son las una menos veinticinco.” The whole idea of menos is counting down to the next hour.

Second Table: Which Wording Fits Which Situation

You can say the same time in more than one way. This table helps you choose the phrasing that matches the moment without overthinking it.

Situation	Best Pick	How It Sounds
Answering a stranger fast	Es la una y treinta y cinco	Clear, direct, easy to catch
Talking after :30	Son las dos menos veinticinco	Matches the “to the next hour” habit
Texting a plan	1:35 / 13:35	No doubt, quick to scan
Writing prose	La una y treinta y cinco	Reads smoothly in a sentence
Timetables and tickets	13:35	Standard in travel and formal schedules
Clarifying the day part	de la tarde / de la madrugada	Stops a.m./p.m. mix-ups

A Handy Wrap-Up For 1:35

If you want the safe, straight answer, say Es la una y treinta y cinco. If you want the common “countdown” style, say Son las dos menos veinticinco. Add a la or a las when you mean “at” a time, and use the 24-hour clock in schedules when you want zero doubt.