In Spanish, "menos" is used when telling time to indicate how many minutes are left until the next hour. Here’s how it works:
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From the hour onward: When the time is between the hour and the next half hour, you use "y" (and) to indicate minutes past the hour.
- Example: 2:10 is "Son las dos y diez."
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From the half hour onward: When the time is after the half hour and before the next hour, you switch to using "menos" to indicate how many minutes remain until the next hour.
- Example: 2:40 is "Son las tres menos veinte" (or "Son las dos y cuarenta" if you prefer the first half to the next hour), which literally translates to "It's three minus twenty."
So, you use "menos" when the minutes are less than 30 before the next hour.
Examples:
- 3:50 → "Son las cuatro menos diez" (It's ten minutes to four)
- 4:15 → "Son las cuatro y quince" (It's fifteen past four)
This structure helps in clearly communicating the time using the two halves of the hour.