4 Ways To Tell Time In French

1-12: une, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix, onze, douze 13-24: treize, quatorze, quinze, seize, dix-sept, dix-huit, dix-neuf, vingt, vingt et un, vingt-deux, vingt-trois, vingt-quatre

For example, if someone asks you what time it is, you might reply “Il est cinq heures. " The word “heures” literally translates to “hours,” but when telling time, it takes the place of “o’clock. " So in the previous example, you’re literally saying “It is five o’clock. “[4] X Research source

For example, if someone asked you at exactly noon what time it was, you would say “il est midi. "

“Du matin” (before noon): “Il est neuf heures et demie du matin. " (It is 9:30 a. m. ) “De l’après-midi (from noon until about 6:00 p. m. ): “Il est cinq heures de l’après-midi. " (It’s 5:00 in the afternoon. ) “Du soir” (from 6:00 p. m. until midnight): “Il est huit heures dix du soir. " (It’s 8:10 p. m. )

For example, you might say “il est neuf heures pile” (it’s 9 o’clock on the dot) or “le cours commence à dix heures pile” (the class starts at 10 o’clock sharp).

For example, if you want to say it’s 9:52, use the word for 50 (cinquante) plus the word for 2 (deux) and say “il est neuf heures cinquante-deux. " You can give approximate times in French just as you would in English, so it’s no big deal if you forget a number word. If it’s 9:52, you could either say “il est environ dix heures” or “Il est presque dix heures. " (it’s almost 10 o´clock) [9] X Research source

For example, if it’s 10:20, you would say “il est dix heures vingt. "

For example, if it’s 11:30, you would say “Il est onze heures et demie. " The official grammar rule is that you only use these shorthand fraction words until noon. At 1 p. m. or 13h00, when you roll into the 24-hour clock, you use the number words “quinze” (15) and “trente” (30). However, native French speakers often use these words at any time. [12] X Research source

This is particularly helpful if you’re just learning French and have a hard time remembering all the number words. For example, if it’s 8:50, you could say “il est neuf heures moins dix” instead of “il est huit heures cinquante. " If you want to say it’s a quarter till, or 45 minutes past the hour, you can also use “moins le quart. " Since you’re subtracting, remember to go up an hour. For example, 9:45 would be “dix heures moins le quart” or “neuf heures quarante-cinq. " As with “quart” and “demie,” the official grammar rule is that you don’t use this phrase after noon with the 24-hour clock. [14] X Research source

If you’re asking a stranger the time and want to be extra polite, you might also ask, “Auriez-vous l’heure, s’il vous plaît ?” (Would you tell me the time, please?)

For example, if a friend has asked you to watch a movie with them, you might ask “à quelle heure commence le film ?” (What time does the movie start?) Your friend might reply “le film commence à vingt heures” (the movie starts at 20:00 or 8:00 p. m. ), or simply, “à vingt heures. "

“Tôt” (TOH) means “early. " For example, you might say “Il est cinq heures ? Je me suis réveillé très tôt, ce matin!” (It’s 5 a. m. ? I woke up very early this morning!) “En avance” (AHN AHVAHNS) also means “early,” but more in the sense of being too early for something, or something happening too soon. For example, you might say “Je ne suis jamais en avance à l’école” (I am never early to school. ) “Tard” (TAHR) means “late. " For example, you might say “Il est vingt-trois heures ? Il est tard, je vais dormir. " (It’s 11:00 p. m. ? It’s late, I’m going to bed. ) “En retard” (AHN REH-TAHR) means “running late. " For example, you might say “J’étais en retard pour notre rendez-vous. " (I was running late for our date. )