Telling the time is one of the most practical skills in any language, and French has a few twists that make it uniquely its own. In this lesson, Camille and Lucas consult the day's schedule — from the morning class to the evening meeting and bedtime. You'll learn how to say o'clock, half past, quarter past, and quarter to, plus the special words for noon and midnight. Get your clock ready!
Learning tips
- French uses a 24-hour clock in official contexts (transport, schedules), but everyday speech uses the 12-hour format. The structure is always: il est + number + heures (+ modifier).
- The word heures (hours) is always present except for midi and minuit. So 'it is 3 o'clock' = il est trois heures — never drop heures.
- For half past, add et demie (or et demi for midi/minuit, which are masculine): il est deux heures et demie, but il est midi et demi.
- For quarter to, French looks ahead to the next hour: 8:45 = il est neuf heures moins le quart (nine hours minus a quarter), not 'eight forty-five'.
- The preposition à expresses a specific time (à neuf heures = at nine o'clock), while de … à … expresses a time range (de neuf heures à midi = from nine to noon).
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| déjeuner | to have lunch / lunch |
| dîner | to have dinner / dinner |
| manger | to eat |
| boire | to drink |
| le déjeuner | lunch |
| le dîner | dinner |
| le repas | meal |
| la nourriture | food |
| avoir faim | to be hungry |
| avoir soif | to be thirsty |
Dialog
Camille and Lucas look at their daily schedule in the morning and check the time for various appointments. Notice how the key time expressions — et demie, et quart, moins le quart, midi, minuit — are used naturally throughout the conversation.
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| l' l'heure | /lœʁ/ | the hour, the time | L'heure — quelle heure est-il ? = what time is it? Also means 'hour': une heure = one hour |
| quelle | /kɛl/ | which, what (feminine) | Interrogative adjective — quelle heure = what time; quel is the masculine form |
| maintenant | /mɛ̃t.nɑ̃/ | now | Adverb of time — maintenant je comprends = now I understand; very common in daily speech |
| et demie | /e də.mi/ | and a half (past the hour) | Used for :30 — il est deux heures et demie; note: et demi (no e) after midi/minuit |
| et quart | /e kaʁ/ | and a quarter (past the hour) | Used for :15 — il est deux heures et quart |
| moins | /mwɛ̃/ | minus, less (to the hour) | Used for :45 — il est trois heures moins le quart (3:00 − 15min = 2:45) |
| midi | /mi.di/ | noon, midday | Il est midi — not douze heures in everyday speech; midi is masculine: midi et demi |
| minuit | /mi.nɥi/ | midnight | Il est minuit — not vingt-quatre heures; minuit is masculine: minuit et demi |
| à | /a/ | at (time) | Preposition for a specific time — à neuf heures, à midi, à minuit |
| de | /də/ | from (time range) | Used with à to express a range — de neuf heures à midi; also means 'of' in many other contexts |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| l' l'horaire | /lɔ.ʁɛʁ/ | ||
| en avance | /ɑ̃.n‿a.vɑ̃s/ | ||
| en retard | /ɑ̃ ʁə.taʁ/ | ||
| pile | /pil/ | ||
| vers | /vɛʁ/ | ||
| environ | /ɑ̃.vi.ʁɔ̃/ |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| quelle heure est-il | what time is it? |
| il est … heures | it is … o'clock |
| à quelle heure | at what time? |
Grammar: Telling time in French
| Heure | Français | Structure |
|---|---|---|
| 1:00 | il est une heure | une heure (féminin) |
| 2:00 | il est deux heures | nombre + heures |
| 2:15 | il est deux heures et quart | + et quart |
| 2:30 | il est deux heures et demie | + et demie |
| 2:45 | il est trois heures moins le quart | heure suivante − le quart |
| 12:00 | il est midi | midi (pas « douze heures ») |
| 00:00 | il est minuit | minuit (pas « zéro heure ») |
| 8:00–12:00 | de huit heures à midi | de … à … |
To tell the time in French, the formula is il est + [number] + heures + [optional modifier]. The subject is always il (impersonal), never je or elle. For whole hours: il est une heure (1:00), il est deux heures (2:00). Note that une heure is feminine because heure is feminine, but all other numbers are invariable. For 12pm and 12am use the special words: il est midi (noon) and il est minuit (midnight). For :30, add et demie (feminine because heures is feminine): il est deux heures et demie. Exception: midi and minuit are masculine, so il est midi et demi. For :15, add et quart: il est deux heures et quart. For :45, French looks to the next hour and subtracts: il est trois heures moins le quart means 'it is a quarter to three' (3:00 − 0:15). The word moins (minus/less) makes this subtraction explicit. For time ranges, use de … à …: de neuf heures à midi (from nine to noon). To ask the time: quelle heure est-il ? (formal/written) or il est quelle heure ? (everyday spoken). To ask at what time something happens: à quelle heure … ?
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the correct word to express the time or time concept.
- heure est-il maintenant ? (quel/quelle)(The interrogative adjective for heure is feminine — quelle or quel?)
- Il est trois heures et . (30 minutes)(30 minutes past the hour — which modifier?)
- Le cours commence neuf heures. (préposition)(Preposition meaning 'at' a specific time)
- Il est — c'est l'heure du déjeuner ! (12:00)(The French word for 12:00 noon — not douze heures)
- Il est six heures le quart. (6:45 → 7:00 − 15 min)(6:45 = 7:00 − 15 min — which word expresses the subtraction?)
Grammar Application
Write out each time in full French words using the il est … formula.
- Écrivez en lettres : 3:15 → (3:15 = three hours and a quarter)
- Écrivez en lettres : 7:30 → (7:30 = seven hours and a half)
- Écrivez en lettres : 9:45 → (9:45 = look ahead to 10:00, subtract a quarter)
- Écrivez en lettres : 00:00 → (00:00 = the special word for midnight)
- Écrivez en lettres : 12:00 → (12:00 = the special word for noon)
Translate into French
Translate each sentence into French using the time vocabulary from this lesson.
- What time is it now?
- It is half past two.
- The class is from nine o'clock to noon.
- I have dinner at quarter to eight.
- It is midnight, good night!
Build Your Own Sentence
Write 2–3 sentences in French describing your own daily schedule using specific times. Include at least one time with et quart or et demie, and one with moins le quart.
Takeaway
French tells the time with il est + heures + modifier — remember that :45 looks forward to the next hour (trois heures moins le quart), and noon and midnight have their own special words: midi and minuit.