How do you tell time using cuarto in Spanish?

For quarter past the hour, add y cuarto after the hour: Son las dos y cuarto (It is 2:15). For quarter to the hour, subtract with menos cuarto: Son las dos menos cuarto (It is 1:45). Some regions prefer y quince and menos quince, using the number fifteen directly.

What is the difference between cuarto and trimestre?

Cuarto means one-fourth as a general fraction or measurement. Trimestre specifically refers to a three-month period—used in business (fiscal quarters), pregnancy (trimesters), and academics (school terms). When discussing quarterly business results, trimestre is always the correct choice.

Does cuarto mean room or quarter?

Cuarto pulls double duty as both 'room' (el cuarto de baño = the bathroom, mi cuarto = my room) and 'quarter/fourth' (un cuarto de hora = a quarter of an hour). The two meanings come from the same Latin root—quartus (fourth)—since rooms were historically one section of a divided space.

Spanish vocabulary · Beginner

QUARTER in Spanish: CUARTO

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Cuarto · noun · KWAHR-toh

Quarter translates to cuarto in Spanish, sharing the same Latin root as 'quart' and 'quarter.' Cuarto means one-fourth of anything, but it also means 'room' in a completely separate sense (el cuarto = the room). For telling time, y cuarto means 'quarter past' and menos cuarto means 'quarter to.' In business and academic contexts, a quarter of the year is a trimestre (three-month period). The U.S. quarter coin is typically called simply un cuarto or described as una moneda de veinticinco centavos.

KWAHR-toh

Son las tres y cuarto de la tarde.

It is a quarter past three in the afternoon.

Quarter in Spanish: Quick Reference

Below are the most common Spanish words for quarter, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.

Spanish	English	Pronunciation	Region / Register
cuarto	quarter	KWAHR-toh	Default, widely understood
trimestre	quarter		business/academic quarter
moneda de veinticinco centavos	quarter		U.S. coin

How Native Speakers Use Cuarto

Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.

Telling time

La clase empieza a las diez menos cuarto.

The class starts at a quarter to ten.

Menos cuarto subtracts fifteen minutes from the hour.

Business quarter

Las ventas del primer trimestre superaron las expectativas.

First quarter sales exceeded expectations.

Trimestre is the standard business term for a three-month quarter.

Fraction of something

Solo queda un cuarto de la pizza en la caja.

There is only a quarter of the pizza left in the box.

Un cuarto here means one-fourth, used for any fraction.

Avoid These Mistakes When Using Cuarto

Confusing cuarto (quarter) with cuarto (room)

Incorrect: Vivo en el cuarto de la pizza. (confusing meanings)

Correct: Solo comí un cuarto de la pizza. / Vivo en el cuarto de al lado.

Cuarto has two distinct meanings: one-fourth and room. Context determines which meaning applies, but mixing them in the same sentence can create confusion.

Using cuarto for business quarter

Incorrect: Las ganancias del segundo cuarto fueron altas.

Correct: Las ganancias del segundo trimestre fueron altas.

In financial reporting, the three-month period is called trimestre, not cuarto. Using cuarto in a business context would sound unusual to native speakers.

Lock in Quarter Vocabulary with the Parrot Method

Why word lists alone don't stick

Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.

See Cuarto used by native speakers

Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using cuarto in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Son las tres y cuarto de la tarde. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.

Save, review, repeat, stay consistent

Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.

Common Questions About Quarter in Spanish

How do you tell time using cuarto in Spanish?: For quarter past the hour, add y cuarto after the hour: Son las dos y cuarto (It is 2:15). For quarter to the hour, subtract with menos cuarto: Son las dos menos cuarto (It is 1:45). Some regions prefer y quince and menos quince, using the number fifteen directly.
What is the difference between cuarto and trimestre?: Cuarto means one-fourth as a general fraction or measurement. Trimestre specifically refers to a three-month period—used in business (fiscal quarters), pregnancy (trimesters), and academics (school terms). When discussing quarterly business results, trimestre is always the correct choice.
Does cuarto mean room or quarter?: Cuarto pulls double duty as both 'room' (el cuarto de baño = the bathroom, mi cuarto = my room) and 'quarter/fourth' (un cuarto de hora = a quarter of an hour). The two meanings come from the same Latin root—quartus (fourth)—since rooms were historically one section of a divided space.