How to Ask When a Place Opens and Closes in Spanish
Learn to ask 'What are the opening hours?' in Latin American Spanish, say when a site opens and closes, and understand last entry before you buy tickets.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
When you visit a museum, ruin, or ticket office in Latin America, the first question you need is about hours. In this lesson you will learn a fixed, polite question for opening hours, how to ask when a place opens and closes, and how to check the last entry time before buying a ticket. All phrases use broadly useful Latin American Spanish, with regional notes where usage changes.
By the end, you can…
- ask what the opening hours of a site are
- ask and understand when a place opens and closes
- ask about the last entry time before buying a ticket
- understand simple spoken answers about schedules
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
¿Cuál es el horario?
What are the opening hours?
KWAL es el oh-RAH-ree-oh
The most common general question. 'Horario' means schedule or opening hours. Use it at a ticket window or information desk.
¿A qué hora abren?
What time do they open?
ah keh OH-rah AH-bren
Use 'abren' (they open) for a business or site. For one person, use 'abre': ¿A qué hora abre?
¿A qué hora cierran?
What time do they close?
ah keh OH-rah SYEH-rrahn
'Cierran' means they close. In most of Latin America, the 'll' in 'cierran' sounds like English 'y', so it is close to 'SYEH-rrahn'.
¿Hasta qué hora se puede entrar?
Until what time can you go in?
AHS-tah keh OH-rah seh PWEH-deh en-TRAR
A clear way to ask about last entry. 'Se puede' means 'you can' or 'one can'.
¿Cuál es la última entrada?
What is the last entry?
KWAL es la OOL-tee-mah en-TRAH-dah
Use this at sites that sell timed tickets. It asks for the final entry time, not the closing time.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Use '¿A qué hora...?' plus a verb to ask about any time. '¿A qué hora abren?' (What time do they open?), '¿A qué hora cierran?' (What time do they close?), '¿A qué hora es la última entrada?' (What time is the last entry?). Notice that Spanish uses 'a qué hora' where English often says 'when'. The verb after it is usually in the present tense: 'abren', 'cierran', 'es'.
When to use it
Use '¿Cuál es el horario?' for a general answer, often a range: 'De nueve a seis' (From nine to six). Use '¿A qué hora abren?' or '¿A qué hora cierran?' when you need one exact time. Use '¿Hasta qué hora se puede entrar?' or '¿Cuál es la última entrada?' before buying a ticket, because last entry is often earlier than closing time. If you hear 'La última entrada es a las cuatro', that means you must enter by four, even if the site closes at six.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Buenas tardes, ¿cuál es el horario?
Good afternoon, what are the opening hours?BWEH-nahs TAR-dehs, KWAL es el oh-RAH-ree-ohAbrimos de nueve a seis, pero la última entrada es a las cuatro y media.
We open from nine to six, but the last entry is at four thirty.ah-BREE-mohs deh NWEH-beh ah SEIS, PEH-roh la OOL-tee-mah en-TRAH-dah es ah lahs KWAH-troh ee MEH-dee-ahEntiendo. ¿A qué hora cierran la taquilla?
I understand. What time do you close the ticket office?en-TYEN-doh. ah keh OH-rah SYEH-rrahn la tah-KEE-yahLa taquilla cierra a las cinco y media.
The ticket office closes at five thirty.la tah-KEE-yah SYEH-rrah ah lahs SEEN-koh ee MEH-dee-ahA little context goes a long way
In many Latin American countries, schedules use the 12-hour clock with 'de la mañana', 'de la tarde', and 'de la noche'. 'A las seis' can mean 6 a.m. or 6 p.m., so listen for those phrases. In some regions, especially Mexico and parts of Central America, people commonly say '¿A qué hora abren?', while in the Southern Cone you may also hear '¿A qué hora atienden?' (What time do you serve customers?). Both are understood, but 'horario' is the safest general word.
One thing to watch for
Using '¿Cuándo abren?' to ask for the exact opening time.
Try this instead: '¿Cuándo abren?' means 'When do they open?' and may get a day or date, not a time. For a clock time, say '¿A qué hora abren?'. Example: ¿A qué hora abren el museo? (What time does the museum open?)
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Ask a ticket seller for the opening hours in one general question.
Show a sample answer
¿Cuál es el horario?
This asks for the schedule as a whole. You could also ask '¿Me puede decir el horario?', which is a polite alternative.
2You want to know the closing time of a site. What do you ask?
Show a sample answer
¿A qué hora cierran?
This asks for the closing time directly. If you are speaking about one person, use '¿A qué hora cierra?'.
3The sign says the site closes at six, but you want to know the final entry time. What do you ask?
Show a sample answer
¿Cuál es la última entrada?
This asks for the last entry time, which may be earlier than closing. '¿Hasta qué hora se puede entrar?' is also correct.
Use '¿Cuál es el horario?' for general hours, '¿A qué hora abren?' and '¿A qué hora cierran?' for exact times, and '¿Cuál es la última entrada?' before you buy a ticket.
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