How to Say “When” in Spanish: 26 Common Phrases + Grammar Rules

Learning “when” in Spanish is essential for effective communication, whether planning a trip to Spain or learning the language for personal growth. From asking simple questions like “When is your birthday?” to forming complex conditional sentences, knowing how to use “cuándo” in different contexts will significantly enhance your Spanish-speaking skills. This guide will walk you through the translation, pronunciation, grammar rules, and common phrases associated with “when” in Spanish, making it easy for beginners to understand.

How to Say “When” in Spanish

The word “when” in Spanish is “cuándo.” It is used in various contexts, from asking about time to setting conditions.

• Translation: cuándo
• Pronunciation: /ˈkwando/

You can easily use “cuándo” in sentences regarding time, dates, and conditions.  

Expressing Time in Spanish

In Spanish, expressing time is essential when communicating about days, months, and specific times of the day.

Days of the Week in Spanish:

• Monday – lunes
• Tuesday – martes
• Wednesday – miércoles
• Thursday – jueves
• Friday – viernes
• Saturday – sábado
• Sunday – domingo

Months of the Year in Spanish:

• January – enero
• February – febrero
• March – marzo
• April – abril
• May – mayo
• June – junio
• July – julio
• August – agosto
• September – septiembre
• October – octubre
• November – noviembre
• December – diciembre

Seasons in Spanish:

• Spring – primavera
• Summer – verano
• Autumn – otoño
• Winter – invierno

Hours and Minutes in Spanish:

• One o’clock – una
• Two o’clock – dos
• Three o’clock – tres
• Four o’clock – cuatro
• Five o’clock – cinco
• Six o’clock – seis
• Seven o’clock – siete
• Eight o’clock – ocho
• Nine o’clock – nueve
• Ten o’clock – diez
• Eleven o’clock – once
• Twelve o’clock – doce

  For minutes, you can say:

• 15 minutes past – y cuarto
• 30 minutes past – y media
• 45 minutes past – menos cuarto (a quarter to the next hour)

Grammar Rules for Using “When” in Spanish

Sentence Structure In Spanish, the basic structure for using “when” is:

• Subject + Verb + Cuándo + Information

Example: “Te llamaré cuándo llegue.” (I’ll call you when I arrive.) Verb Tenses Commonly Used with “When” Depending on the time frame you’re referring to, different tenses will be used:

• Present – for actions happening now.
• Past – for actions that have already occurred.
• Future – for actions that will happen later.

Prepositions Used with “When” In many instances, “when” in Spanish works with certain prepositions such as:

• en (in)
• a (at)
• de (of)

Common Phrases and Expressions with “When” in Spanish

Spanish offers various phrases to express “when” in different contexts. Below are common examples for time, conditions, and general queries.

Time and Conditions

1. When will you be home? – ¿Cuándo llegarás a casa?
2. When are you leaving? – ¿Cuándo te vas?
3. When did you arrive? – ¿Cuándo llegaste?
4. When it rains, it pours. – Cuando llueve, llueve a cántaros.
5. If/When you see her, tell her to call me. – Si/Cuando la veas, dile que me llame.

Cause and Effect

1. When I eat spicy food, my mouth burns. – Cuando como comida picante, me arde la boca.
2. When the sun sets, it gets dark. – Cuando se pone el sol, oscurece.

Conditional Sentences

1. When I win the lottery, I will buy a house. – Cuando gane la lotería, compraré una casa.
2. I’ll call you when I get there. – Te llamaré cuando llegue.

General Time References

1. When is your birthday? – ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños?
2. When did you start learning Spanish? – ¿Cuándo empezaste a aprender español?
3. When are you going on vacation? – ¿Cuándo vas de vacaciones?
4. What time is it? – ¿Qué hora es?
5. When I was a child… – Cuando era niño/niña…

Specific Time Frames

1. When will you be back? – ¿Cuándo volverás?
2. When can we meet? – ¿Cuándo podemos reunirnos?
3. By when do you need it? – ¿Para cuándo lo necesitas?
4. It was around 8 PM when I called. – Eran alrededor de las 8 PM cuando llamé.

Time-Related Conjunctions

1. When you finish, we can go. – Cuando termines, podemos irnos.
2. Wait here until I come back. – Espera aquí hasta que vuelva.
3. I’ll call you when I get there. – Te llamaré cuando llegue.

Other Expressions

1. Once upon a time… – Érase una vez…
2. Every time I see you… – Cada vez que te veo…
3. Next time you come over… – La próxima vez que vengas…
4. From time to time… – De vez en cuando…
5. In no time… – En un abrir y cerrar de ojos…

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Conclusion

Expressing “when” in Spanish is crucial in mastering the language. By understanding the translation, grammar rules, and common expressions, you can confidently use “cuándo” in everyday conversations. Keep practising, and you will soon be fluent!