How to Say ‘It's twenty to seven.’ in Mexican Spanish
Son veinte para las siete.
sohn BAYN-teh PAH-rah lahs see-EH-teh
[sohn BAYN-teh PAH-rah lahs see-EH-teh]
💬 Usage Tip: Here the minutes come first, then para las plus the coming hour. Swap in any number: Son diez para las ocho "It's ten to eight."
🇲🇽 In Mexico: This para style is the everyday Mexican way to say minutes before the hour, more common than menos.
Phrase Breakdown
Son veinte
sohn BAYN-teh
It's twenty (minutes)
'Son veinte' starts a very Mexican way of telling time: the minutes left before the hour. 'Veinte' is 'BAYN-teh', with the 'v' sounding soft, close to a 'b'.
Son veinte para las ocho.
It's twenty to eight.
Words in this phrase
Son
[sohn]
it is / they are
Used to state a price, especially with plural pesos amounts.
El taxista respondió «Son» trescientos, pero me pareció mucho.
The taxi driver replied "it is" three hundred, but it seemed like a lot to me.
veinte
[BAYN-teh]
twenty
The number 20.
Hay veinte alumnos en la clase.
There are twenty students in the class.
para las siete.
PAH-rah lahs see-EH-teh
to seven (before seven)
'Para las' plus the hour means 'before that hour', so the full phrase means 6:40. 'Siete' is 'SYEH-teh'.
Faltan diez para las siete.
It's ten to seven.
Words in this phrase
para
[PAH-rah]
To
Para expresses purpose or intention, equivalent to 'for/to'.
Reuniones se organizan para fortalecer vínculos.
Meetings are organized to strengthen bonds.
las
[lahs]
the (plural feminine, used with hours)
In time expressions, “las” is used because “hora” is feminine and plural is implied: “a las 3,” “a las 11.”
Quedamos a las 11 para revisar pendientes.
We’ll meet at 11 to review pending items.
siete
[see-EH-teh]
seven
Siete is the number seven and is used for telling time.
La reserva es a las siete.
The reservation is at seven.
Get the Full Learning Experience
This lesson is just a preview. Download PrettyFluent to practice pronunciation, roleplay conversations, and master vocabulary with spaced repetition.
Pronunciation Feedback
AI-powered feedback on what you say out loud
Spaced Repetition
Retain vocabulary long-term with smart practice
Immersive Roleplaying
Practice real conversations with AI partners
Lessons for Your Situation
Request lessons tailored to your specific needs
Get Full LessonWhat Learners Are Saying
“Moved to Mexico City for work and needed to get conversational fast. Two weeks of daily practice and I was ordering tacos and negotiating with my landlord in Spanish.”
David K., 35, Startup Founder
“I spent a month backpacking through Colombia and this app was a lifesaver. The lessons meant I could handle real situations from day one.”
Rachel T., 26, Travel Blogger
“Learning a language has never been as immediately impactful. Now I can charm the locals and navigate the food scene like a boss.”
Alex M., 42, Software Engineer