Spanish Phrase
Son las 7 de la noche.
Meaning
The sentence means 'It is seven o’clock at night' (7 p.m.). In Spanish the verb 'ser' is used to tell the time, and the phrase 'de la noche' tells the listener that the hour belongs to the night period.
When to use
Use this expression when you need to tell someone the exact time after sunset, in everyday conversation, announcements, or when scheduling evening activities.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Sonlas7delanoche
Ser for telling time
The verb 'ser' (conjugated as 'son' for plural hours) is used to state the time, not 'estar'.
Definite article with hours
Use 'las' before plural hour numbers (e.g., 'las siete'), and 'la' before singular hour (e.g., 'la una').
Cardinal numbers
Numbers for telling time are expressed as cardinal numbers: 1‑12 (or 13‑24 in 24‑hour format).
Time‑of‑day phrase
'de la noche' specifies that the hour is in the night; other options are 'de la mañana' and 'de la tarde'.
🗨In Conversation
¿Qué hora es?
What time is it?
Son las siete de la noche.
It’s seven o’clock at night.
✕Common Mistakes
Está las 7 de la noche.
Use 'ser' (son) for telling time, not 'estar'.
Son las una de la noche.
For singular hour (1) use 'la', not 'las'.
Son las siete del noche.
The preposition must be 'de la', not 'del' or 'en la'.
↔Alternatives
Son las siete de la tarde.
It’s seven o’clock in the evening.
Ya son las siete.
It’s already seven.
Son las siete en punto.
It’s exactly seven.
Cultural Tip
In most Spanish‑speaking countries people use the 12‑hour clock in casual speech, adding 'de la mañana', 'de la tarde' or 'de la noche' to avoid ambiguity. In formal settings (e.g., timetables, news) the 24‑hour clock is common, so 7 p.m. would be written as '19:00'. Also, 'noche' generally starts after sunset, which can vary seasonally, so 'de la noche' is used for later evening hours, while 'de la tarde' covers the earlier evening period.