Al tiempo

In recent entries we have looked at some expressions with the word tiempo. Let's look at a few more, including the difference between al tiempo and a tiempo.

Un tiempo

The expression un tiempo is a good translation of a long while, longer than un rato.

• Después de un tiempo. After a while.
• Prefiero que no nos veamos por un tiempo. For a while.
• Necesito un tiempito para juntar todo el dinero. I need some time.
• Lo dejé hace (un) tiempo. I quit that a while ago.

El tiempo

Although I was dutifully taught in Spanish class to ask about the weather with el tiempo, in Mexico you're more likely to hear ¿Cómo está el clima? Here, clima refers not to the seasonal weather patterns but to the current weather conditions. Some possible responses are hace frío, está lloviendo, hace mal tiempo. This last one means: It's bad out.

Here are some expressions with el tiempo:

• El tiempo (lo) dirá. Only time will tell. It's too early to be sure.
• Se me fue el tiempo. I lost track of time.
• Se nos acabó el tiempo We ran out of time. Time's up.

Tiempos

In plural, tiempos refers to a long period, or to repeated periods, of time.

• En mis tiempos no se hacía eso. In my day, that wasn't done. When I was young. Also: en mi época.
• Pasar por tiempos difíciles. Go through rough times.

Al tiempo, a tiempo

Even though tiempo isn't really used for asking about the weather, as we've said, it does work for temperature in one case.

• ¿Tienes al tiempo? Do you have one (a soft drink, a beer) at room temperature?
• ¿Frío? ¿O al tiempo? Do you want a cold one? Or one at room temperature?
• Al tiempo. No, medio calientito Don't warm it up. On second thought, do.

Don't confuse al tiempo with a tiempo, which is about timing.

• Llegó a tiempo. He arrived on time. He wasn't late.
• Regresamos a tiempo para abrir la tienda. With enough time. In time to.
• Lo voy a hacer — y a tiempo. When the time is right.

Speaking of timing, that's a hard word to translate. The dictionary will tell you sincronización. However, something like Good timing! would probably be Llegaste justo a tiempo.