OK, another question

I know you guy's are getting tired of my stupid questions :) In lesson 1.5 it talk's about the verb SER --- Son (You, them, they) and las is plural feminine "the" So in lesson 1.7 telling time, why is the answer to what time is it Son las nueve y veinticinco??? Would that not be - are the 9:35????

Your questions aren't stupid Dave... if you don't understand, you just don't understand. I'm sure there are others that have raised these questions in their minds, but just haven't verbalized them. So-o-o-o-o... don't ever hesitate to ask!! It's how we ALL learn!! In answer to you question... when telling time, all hours are "las" with the exception of one o'clock, because the hours are plural. I know, sounds a little crazy to us Anglophiles... think of it as multiple hours. Because of the "multiple hours" and because you use the plural "las", you have to use "son". Hope that makes it a little clearer for you. If not, let us know, and somebody will come up with another way to 'splain it!

Hola Dave. That's not at all a stupid question! I wondered the same thing the first time I heard "las" used with time. The answer is that "las" is referring to "horas" (hours). When you say, for example , "Son las nueve por/en la mañana," that's really short for "son las nueve horas...." So you'd use "las" with all hours of the day or night except 1 o'clock, since then it's* la* hora (just *one*, thus the singular* la* rather than the plural *las*). I'm not sure I explained that clearly. If you're still confused, please ask for a better explanation. :D

So would not Son Las mean "They are the"????? So I guess you are saying "They are the 9:30" if someone asked you the time? That might not be the correct meaning but in my fetal mind that is what I think

[quo]*Quote from * DaveG So would not Son Las mean "They are the"????? So I guess you are saying "They are the 9:30" if someone asked you the time? That might not be the correct meaning but in my fetal mind that is what I think[/quo] One important thing to keep in mind is that you can't and shouldn't try to translate everything literally. When you're talking about time in Spanish, "son las nueve" does not mean "they are nine" but rather "it's nine o'clock." You have to accept Spanish on its own terms, not try to make it just like English but with different words.

[quo]*Quote from * nohablo [quo]*Quote from * DaveG So would not Son Las mean "They are the"????? So I guess you are saying "They are the 9:30" if someone asked you the time? That might not be the correct meaning but in my fetal mind that is what I think[/quo] One important thing to keep in mind is that you can't and shouldn't try to translate everything literally. When you're talking about time in Spanish, "son las nueve" does not mean "they are nine" but rather "it's nine o'clock." You have to accept Spanish on its own terms, not try to make it just like English but with different words.[/quo] I guess that is what I am trying to do, When you speak English for so long, it's hard to think of any language any other way... Thanks!!!!! I will try not to take it so literal....