Telling Time
Telling time in French revolves around asking for the hour, stating the exact time, and using expressions for parts of the hour. This guide goes through the key phrases, numbers, and useful market and clock vocabulary to get you comfortable talking about time.
Asking for the Time
The most common way to ask for the time is Quelle heure est-il ? You can also say Vous avez l'heure ? for a more casual approach when asking someone directly. These questions cue the listener to give you the clock time.
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Saying the Hour
French tells the hour first using il est followed by the number and heure for singular or plural. For half past, use et demie, and for quarters use et quart or moins le quart when subtracting 15 minutes. Minutes are stated after the hour.
Market Vocabulary
Markets often have specific opening and closing times, so useful vocabulary includes l'ouverture, la fermeture, and expressions for times like à midi or à minuit. Knowing these helps when reading schedules or asking vendors about market hours.
| French Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| l'ouverture | the opening |
| la fermeture | the closing |
| à midi | at noon |
| à minuit | at midnight |
| à une heure | at one o'clock |
| à deux heures | at two o'clock |
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🥖 « C’est combien le pain ? » | How much is the bread? |
| 🍊 « Les oranges sont à quel prix ? » | The oranges are at what price? |
| 🧀 « Le fromage coûte combien la tranche ? » | How much does the cheese cost per slice? |
| 🥐 « À quelle heure ferme le marché ? » | What time does the market close? |
| 🍓 « Les fraises sont elles mûres ? » | Are the strawberries ripe? |
Clock Vocabulary
Basic clock vocabulary includes l'heure for the time, la montre for a wristwatch, and l'horloge for a wall clock or public clock. Verbs like donner l'heure (to tell the time) and regarder la montre (to look at the watch) are useful in everyday contexts.
| French Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| l'heure | the time |
| la montre | the wristwatch |
| l'horloge | the clock |
| donner l'heure | to tell the time |
| regarder la montre | to look at the watch |
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🕰 « Quelle heure est-il, s’il vous plaît ? » | What time is it, please? |
| ⏰ « Le réveil sonne à quelle heure ? » | What time does the alarm go off? |
| 🕡 « Il est six heures et demie. » | It is six thirty. |
| 🕗 « Le train part à huit heures. » | The train leaves at eight o’clock. |
| 🕞 « Rendez-vous à trois heures et quart. » | Meeting at quarter past three. |
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Summary
Telling time in French centers on asking with Quelle heure est-il ?, stating the hour with il est plus the number, and using market and clock vocabulary for practical situations. Practice these phrases aloud to get comfortable with the rhythm of time expressions.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025