In this workshop you will practice asking about opening hours in Spanish and understanding short spoken answers. You will use four simple questions and a short conversation between a visitor and a staff member. Each native example is shown with a recording reference. Read the English explanation first, then listen to the recording and repeat it out loud. You can play both roles in the conversation: first the visitor, then the staff member. There is no automatic scoring, so check your own answers with the answer key after each task.
Asking the basic questions
Start with the most general question. «¿Cuál es el horario?» means "What are the opening hours?" You can use it at a ticket window or information desk. If you want to ask only about the opening time, use «¿A qué hora abren?», which means "What time do they open?" If you want to ask about the closing time, use «¿A qué hora cierran?», which means "What time do they close?" These three questions are short and polite. Say them slowly at first, then at a natural speed. Listen for the question words: cuál, a qué hora. They signal that a question is coming.
Asking about the last entry
Sometimes the site is open but you cannot enter late. To ask about the last entry time, use «¿Hasta qué hora se puede entrar?», which means "Until what time can you go in?" This is useful before you buy a ticket. The phrase se puede means "you can" or "one can." It does not name a specific person, so it works in many situations. Practice saying the whole line smoothly. Then imagine you are at a museum ticket window and ask the question out loud.
Understanding a short answer
Now listen to a short exchange. A visitor asks «Buenas tardes, ¿cuál es el horario?», which means "Good afternoon, what are the opening hours?" The staff member answers with «Abrimos de nueve a seis, pero la última entrada es a las cuatro y media.», which means "We open from nine to six, but the last entry is at four thirty." Notice two times in one answer: the general hours and the last entry. The visitor then asks «Entiendo. ¿A qué hora cierran la taquilla?», which means "I understand. What time do you close the ticket office?" The staff member answers with «La taquilla cierra a las cinco y media.», which means "The ticket office closes at five thirty." Listen for the numbers and the word pero, which means "but."
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
¿Cuál es el horario?
What are the opening hours?
KWAL es el oh-RAH-ree-oh
¿A qué hora abren?
What time do they open?
ah keh OH-rah AH-bren
¿A qué hora cierran?
What time do they close?
ah keh OH-rah 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
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Buenas tardes, ¿cuál es el horario?
Good afternoon, what are the opening hours?Abrimos 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.Entiendo. ¿A qué hora cierran la taquilla?
I understand. What time do you close the ticket office?La taquilla cierra a las cinco y media.
The ticket office closes at five thirty.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided exchange at the ticket window
Imagine you are at a museum ticket window in the afternoon. You want to know the opening hours and the last entry time. A staff member is ready to answer.
Your task: Play the visitor. Say the general question from «¿Cuál es el horario?» out loud. Then ask about the last entry using «¿Hasta qué hora se puede entrar?». After each question, pause and imagine a short answer. Then play the staff member and say the answer from «Abrimos de nueve a seis, pero la última entrada es a las cuatro y media.» out loud. Repeat the whole exchange two times.
Choose the right reply
You will hear or read a question and choose the best answer from the conversation. This checks if you understand what each line is asking.
Your task: Question 1: A visitor says «Buenas tardes, ¿cuál es el horario?». Which answer fits: «Abrimos de nueve a seis, pero la última entrada es a las cuatro y media.» or «La taquilla cierra a las cinco y media.»? Question 2: A visitor says «Entiendo. ¿A qué hora cierran la taquilla?». Which answer fits: «Abrimos de nueve a seis, pero la última entrada es a las cuatro y media.» or «La taquilla cierra a las cinco y media.»? Say your choice out loud, then say the full answer line.
Recall the conversation with correct roles
Cover the text of the conversation. You will rebuild it from memory, keeping the visitor and staff roles correct.
Your task: Say the visitor's first line from memory. It is «Buenas tardes, ¿cuál es el horario?». Then say the staff member's answer from memory. It is «Abrimos de nueve a seis, pero la última entrada es a las cuatro y media.». Next say the visitor's second line from memory. It is «Entiendo. ¿A qué hora cierran la taquilla?». Finally say the staff member's last answer from memory. It is «La taquilla cierra a las cinco y media.». Do not change the roles.
Common questions
What is the difference between asking about opening hours and asking about the last entry?
The general question «¿Cuál es el horario?» asks for the full schedule. The question «¿Hasta qué hora se puede entrar?» asks until what time you can go in. A place can be open later but still stop letting people enter earlier, as in «Abrimos de nueve a seis, pero la última entrada es a las cuatro y media.», where the hours are nine to six but the last entry is at four thirty.
Can I use these questions for one person instead of a whole business?
The questions «¿A qué hora abren?» and «¿A qué hora cierran?» use abren and cierran, which are for a business or site. For one person, use the singular form «¿A qué hora abre?». In this workshop, all examples are about a site or ticket office, so the plural forms fit that context.
Sources and further reading
- spanish: ask about opening hoursChecked September 2026
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