Definition
The passing of hours, days, and years; also the weather at a particular moment or place.
Example
No tenemos mucho tiempo antes de la reunión.
Show translation
We don't have much time before the meeting.
Etymology
From Latin *tempus* ("time, season, weather"), which gave rise to cognates across Romance languages: French *temps*, Italian *tempo*, Portuguese *tempo*. The Latin root also lives on in English words like "temporary," "tempo," and "contemporary."
Cultural note
Spanish uses *tiempo* for both "time" and "weather" — context tells you which. "¿Qué tiempo hace?" means "What's the weather like?", not "What time is it?" (that's "¿Qué hora es?"). English speakers sometimes confuse the two, so pay attention to surrounding words. In Latin America, you'll also hear *tiempo libre* (free time) used very naturally in everyday conversation.