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Spanish Phrase

¿A qué hora tengo que llegar?

/a ke ˈoɾa ˈteŋɡo ke ʝeˈɣaɾ/
Meaning"At what time do I have to arrive?"
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Meaning

The sentence asks for the exact time you are required to arrive somewhere. It conveys a polite request for schedule information, often used in work, travel, or social plans.

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When to use

Use this phrase when you need to confirm the time of a meeting, a flight, a class, or any appointment where punctuality matters. It works both in formal and informal contexts.

✦Grammar Breakdown

¿Aquéhoratengoquellegar?

1

¿A qué hora?

The fixed phrase ‘¿A qué hora?’ is used to ask for a specific time; ‘a’ is the preposition ‘at’, ‘qué’ means ‘what’, and ‘hora’ means ‘hour/time’.

2

tener que + infinitive

‘tener que’ expresses obligation. It is followed by an infinitive verb (here, ‘llegar’) and translates to ‘have to / must’.

3

Question marks

Spanish uses an opening (¿) and closing (?) question mark. The opening mark is part of the sentence but not pronounced.

4

Accent on ‘qué’

The interrogative ‘qué’ always carries an accent to differentiate it from the conjunction ‘que’.

🗨In Conversation

A

¿A qué hora tengo que llegar?

At what time do I have to arrive?

Tienes que llegar a las ocho en punto.

You have to arrive at eight o’clock sharp.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Tengo que a qué hora llegar.

    The prepositional phrase ‘a qué hora’ must come before the verb phrase; placing ‘a qué hora’ after ‘tengo que’ breaks the natural order.

  • Tengo que llegar a que hora.

    ‘qué’ needs an accent when used interrogatively; also the order should be ‘¿A qué hora…?’ not ‘…a que hora’.

  • Tengo que llegar a qué hora?

    While understandable, this structure sounds awkward; the standard phrasing starts with the time question.

↔Alternatives

  • ¿A qué hora debo llegar?

    At what time should I arrive?

  • ¿A qué hora es necesario que llegue?

    At what time is it necessary that I arrive?

  • ¿A qué hora tengo que estar allí?

    At what time do I have to be there?

es

Cultural Tip

In many Spanish‑speaking countries punctuality is flexible for social gatherings, but for business meetings, classes, or flights it’s expected to be on time or a few minutes early. When you’re unsure, it’s polite to ask ‘¿A qué hora debo llegar?’ to show respect for the schedule.