Spanish study note · VA TIPS #7
“¿En qué zona horaria?”: confirming meeting times in Spanish
By Soltura · Published · Reviewed
Before you accept “el viernes a las 10”, ask ¿En qué zona horaria? (“Which time zone?”). Then confirm it back with the day, date, time and city: “Perfecto, el viernes 16 de octubre a las 10:00, hora de la Ciudad de México.” It matters because Mexico City keeps the same time all year under Mexico’s 2022 time-zone law, while US clocks change, so the gap with New York moves during the year.
Part of Soltura’s Spanish study notes for virtual assistants.
The rule
The words. “Time zone” is zona horaria (also huso horario). A time is a la una for 1:00 and a las for every other hour: a las 10, a las 3 de la tarde. “What time?” is ¿A qué hora?; tiempo means weather or duration, not clock time.
The spelling. The RAE says names of days and months are common nouns and are written in lowercase: el viernes 16 de octubre.
The clocks. Mexico’s Ley de los Husos Horarios (published October 28, 2022) ended seasonal time changes everywhere except some municipalities on the northern border, so Mexico City (Zona Centro) stays on UTC−6 all year. In the US, daylight saving time runs from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November; in 2026 it ends on November 1. Manila is UTC+8 and doesn’t change.
| Date | Mexico City | New York | Manila |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri Oct 16, 2026 | 10:00 | 12:00 (daylight time) | 00:00, Sat Oct 17 |
| Fri Nov 6, 2026 | 10:00 | 11:00 (standard time) | 00:00, Sat Nov 7 |
Our arithmetic from the offsets above. A 10:00 Friday call in Mexico City is midnight in Manila, which is exactly why the question is worth asking.
Example sentences
| Spanish | English | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| ¿En qué zona horaria? ¿Hora de la Ciudad de México? | Which time zone? Mexico City time? | Clarifying before you accept |
| Perfecto, el viernes 16 de octubre a las 10:00, hora de la Ciudad de México. | Perfect, Friday, October 16 at 10:00, Mexico City time. | Confirming back |
| ¿Le parece bien el jueves a las 9:00, hora del Este? | Does Thursday at 9:00 Eastern time work for you? | Proposing a time to a US-based client |
| Disculpe, ¿la reunión es a las 10 de la mañana o de la noche? | Sorry, is the meeting at 10 in the morning or at night? | When a.m./p.m. is unclear |
| Le envío la invitación con la hora de la Ciudad de México. | I’m sending the invite in Mexico City time. | Sending the calendar invite |
| ¿Podemos pasar la llamada a la una? | Can we move the call to one o’clock? | Rescheduling (a la una, singular) |
Common mistakes
- Accepting “a las 10” without a time zone or a.m./p.m.
El Viernes 16 de Octubre→ el viernes 16 de octubre.a las una→ a la una.¿Qué tiempo es la reunión?→ ¿A qué hora es la reunión?- Assuming last month’s gap still holds. Mexico City vs New York is 2 hours until November 1, 2026, then 1 hour.
Quick self-check
- How do you write “at 1:00” in Spanish? Answer: a la una
- Your client in Mexico City says Friday at 10:00. What time is that in Manila? Answer: Midnight, the start of Saturday (Mexico City is UTC−6, Manila UTC+8, and neither changes its clocks).
- Fix the capitals: El Jueves 5 de Noviembre. Answer: El jueves 5 de noviembre (capital E only because it starts the sentence)
Practise it out loud
Soltura’s Ruta VA includes a simulated scheduling workday: Lucía asks for a 30-minute meeting on Friday, you clarify the time zone first, then compare the Mexico City and New York calendars and pick a slot. The first scheduling workday is free. Soltura is a speaking-first Spanish app with a free plan; see Spanish for virtual assistants or plans and pricing.
Free on iPhone and iPad · Mac coming soon
This note started as Soltura’s VA TIPS #7 post. Seen on Facebook.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “time zone” in Spanish?
Zona horaria. Huso horario is also correct and is the term used in Mexico’s time-zone law. To ask which one a client means, say ¿En qué zona horaria?
Does Mexico City use daylight saving time?
No. Since Mexico’s Ley de los Husos Horarios was published on October 28, 2022, the country keeps standard time all year, except some municipalities on the northern border. Mexico City stays on UTC−6.
How should I write a meeting time in a Spanish email?
Give the day, date, time and city, with days and months in lowercase: el viernes 16 de octubre a las 10:00, hora de la Ciudad de México.
Sources
- Diario Oficial de la Federación, Ley de los Husos Horarios en los Estados Unidos Mexicanos (October 28, 2022), accessed Oct 10, 2026.
- NIST, Daylight Saving Time Rules (2026: March 8 to November 1), accessed Oct 10, 2026.
- RAE–ASALE, Diccionario panhispánico de dudas: “mayúsculas” (5.4.12, days and months), accessed Oct 10, 2026.