Tiempo vs. vez vs. hora
While the Spanish words tiempo, vez, and hora can all relate to the English word time, they are not interchangeable. Each word refers to a different aspect of time, and understanding their specific uses is key to speaking Spanish accurately.
Tiempo
A1Tiempo refers to time in a general, abstract, or unquantifiable sense, like a duration. It is also the word used to talk about the weather and grammatical tenses.
No tengo tiempo para leer este libro.
(I don't have time to read this book.)
Pasé mucho tiempo estudiando para el examen.
(I spent a lot of time studying for the exam.)
¿Qué tiempo hace hoy en Barcelona?
(What is the weather like today in Barcelona?)
El mal tiempo nos impidió salir.
(The bad weather prevented us from going out.)
En tiempos de mis abuelos, la vida era más simple.
(In my grandparents' time, life was simpler.)
Para aprender español, se necesita tiempo y paciencia.
(To learn Spanish, you need time and patience.)
El verbo 'comer' está en tiempo presente.
(The verb to eat is in the present tense.)
Vez
A1Vez refers to a specific instance, occasion, or a countable occurrence of an event. Think of it as time in the sense of one time, next time, or three times.
He visto esa película varias veces.
(I have seen that movie several times.)
Esta es la primera vez que viajo a México.
(This is the first time I have traveled to Mexico.)
Había una vez una princesa en un castillo.
(Once upon a time, there was a princess in a castle.)
La próxima vez, por favor llega más temprano.
(Next time, please arrive earlier.)
A veces me gusta caminar solo por el parque.
(Sometimes I like to walk alone in the park.)
Solo te lo diré una vez más.
(I will only tell you one more time.)
Cada vez que escucho esa canción, me acuerdo de ti.
(Every time I hear that song, I remember you.)
Hora
A1Hora refers to the specific time on a clock, an appointed time for an event, or a duration measured in hours (60 minutes).
¿Qué hora es?
(What time is it?)
El vuelo se retrasó por más de una hora.
(The flight was delayed for more than an hour.)
¿A qué hora abren las tiendas?
(At what time do the stores open?)
Llevo dos horas esperando el autobús.
(I've been waiting for the bus for two hours.)
Ya es hora de cenar.
(It's time to have dinner now.)
La hora de llegada es a las 5 p.m.
(The arrival time is at 5 p.m.)
Summary
In short: use tiempo for unspecific, general time or the weather. Use vez for countable instances or occurrences (e.g., one time, three times). Use hora for the specific time on the clock or a duration measured in hours.