Telling time in French involves learning how to express hours, minutes, and using specific phrases for different times of the day. Below are the key vocabulary categories you need.
Hours (heures)
The word for “hour” in French is heure (singular) and heures (plural). When stating the hour, the number comes first followed by heure or heures. Use heure for 1 o’clock and heures for all other numbers.
| French Singular/Plural | English Singular/Plural |
|---|---|
| une heure | one hour / one o’clock |
| deux heures | two hours / two o’clock |
| trois heures | three hours / three o’clock |
| quatre heures | four hours / four o’clock |
| cinq heures | five hours / five o’clock |
| six heures | six hours / six o’clock |
| sept heures | seven hours / seven o’clock |
| huit heures | eight hours / eight o’clock |
| neuf heures | nine hours / nine o’clock |
| dix heures | ten hours / ten o’clock |
Minutes (minutes)
Minutes are expressed using the word minute (singular) and minutes (plural). To say the time, you add the minutes after the hour using et (and) for minutes 1–30 or moins (minus) for minutes 31–59.
| French Singular/Plural | English Singular/Plural |
|---|---|
| une minute | one minute |
| deux minutes | two minutes |
| cinq minutes | five minutes |
| dix minutes | ten minutes |
| quart | a quarter (15 minutes) |
| vingt minutes | twenty minutes |
| vingt-cinq minutes | twenty-five minutes |
| trente minutes | thirty minutes |
| moins vingt minutes | minus twenty minutes |
| moins cinq minutes | minus five minutes |
Common Time Expressions
French uses unique expressions for 15-minute intervals and for saying “half past” or “quarter to.”
| French Expression | English Translation |
|---|---|
| et quart | quarter past |
| et demie | half past |
| moins le quart | quarter to |
| pile | exactly / sharp |
| du matin | in the morning |
| de l’après-midi | in the afternoon |
| du soir | in the evening |
What does the French expression 'moins le quart' mean in English?
quarter to
'Moins le quart' means 'quarter to' the next hour (15 minutes before).
Examples of Telling Time
Here are some examples combining hours, minutes, and expressions:
| French Example | English Example |
|---|---|
| Il est trois heures. | It is three o’clock. |
| Il est six heures et quart. | It is quarter past six. |
| Il est sept heures et demie. | It is half past seven. |
| Il est huit heures moins le quart. | It is quarter to eight. |
| Il est dix heures vingt. | It is ten twenty. |
| Il est onze heures moins cinq. | It is five to eleven. |
| Il est midi. | It is noon. |
| Il est minuit. | It is midnight. |
Asking and Answering the Time
Use Quelle heure est-il? to ask “What time is it?” Here are some example questions and answers:
| French Dialogue | English Dialogue |
|---|---|
| A: Quelle heure est-il ? | A: What time is it? |
| B: Il est quatre heures. | B: It is four o’clock. |
| A: Et il est quelle heure ? | A: And what time is it? |
| B: Il est sept heures moins vingt. | B: It is twenty to seven. |
| A: Est-ce qu’il est midi ? | A: Is it noon? |
| B: Oui, il est midi pile. | B: Yes, it is exactly noon. |
How do you ask 'What time is it?' in French?
Quelle heure est-il ?
'Quelle heure est-il ?' is the standard way to ask for the time in French.
Summary
- Use heure(s) after the number for the hour.
- Use et for minutes up to 30 (e.g., trois heures et dix).
- Use moins for minutes after the half-hour (e.g., quatre heures moins dix).
- Use et quart (quarter past), et demie (half past), and moins le quart (quarter to).
- Use midi for noon and minuit for midnight.
With these building blocks, you can confidently tell time in French!
Flashcards (1 of 41)
- English Singular/Plural: one hour / one o’clock
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
