Telling time in French follows some specific patterns that differ from English. Instead of saying 'half past,' French says et demie (and a half). Instead of 'quarter to,' French says moins le quart (minus the quarter). This guide covers the most common time expressions, including special cases for noon and midnight.
Basic Structure: Il est + heure(s)
In French, you always begin with Il est (It is), followed by the hour number and then the minutes.
- Il est cinq heures. – It is 5:00.
- Il est deux heures. – It is 2:00.
- Il est huit heures. – It is 8:00.
Note: heure becomes heures for 2 and above, except for midi (noon) and minuit (midnight).
Minutes Past the Hour
For minutes 1–29 past the hour, use et (and) or simply state the minutes.
- Il est cinq heures cinq. – It is 5:05.
- Il est cinq heures dix. – It is 5:10.
- Il est cinq heures et quart. – It is 5:15 (quart = quarter).
- Il est cinq heures vingt. – It is 5:20.
- Il est cinq heures vingt-cinq. – It is 5:25.
- Il est cinq heures et demie. – It is 5:30 (demie = half).
Minutes to the Next Hour
For minutes 31–59 until the next hour, French uses moins (minus).
- Il est six heures moins vingt-cinq. – It is 5:35 (25 to 6).
- Il est six heures moins vingt. – It is 5:40 (20 to 6).
- Il est six heures moins le quart. – It is 5:45 (quarter to 6).
- Il est six heures moins dix. – It is 5:50 (10 to 6).
- Il est six heures moins cinq. – It is 5:55 (5 to 6).
Special Times: Noon and Midnight
- Il est midi. – It is noon (12:00 PM).
- Il est minuit. – It is midnight (12:00 AM).
With quarters and halves:
- Il est midi et quart. – 12:15 PM
- Il est midi et demie. – 12:30 PM
- Il est minuit et quart. – 12:15 AM
- Il est minuit et demie. – 12:30 AM
For minutes 'to' the next hour after noon/midnight:
- Il est une heure moins vingt. – 12:40 PM (20 to 1) – careful: not midi moins vingt.
Using the 24-Hour Clock (Official/French Style)
In formal contexts, schedules, or to avoid ambiguity, French uses the 24-hour clock.
- Il est treize heures. – 1:00 PM
- Il est dix-sept heures quinze. – 5:15 PM
- Il est vingt heures trente. – 8:30 PM
- Il est vingt-trois heures quarante-cinq. – 11:45 PM
Key Time Vocabulary
- l'heure (f) – hour / time
- une heure – 1:00 / one hour
- midi – noon
- minuit – midnight
- le quart – quarter (15 minutes)
- la demie – half (30 minutes)
- moins – minus / to (as in '10 to 5')
- et – and
- du matin – in the morning (AM)
- de l'après-midi – in the afternoon
- du soir – in the evening
Examples with AM/PM Clarifications
- Il est huit heures du matin. – It is 8:00 AM.
- Il est huit heures du soir. – It is 8:00 PM.
- Il est deux heures de l'après-midi. – It is 2:00 PM.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Forgetting to make heure plural: il est deux heure ❌ → il est deux heures ✓.
- Saying il est cinq heures et demi ❌ → et demie (feminine because heure is feminine) ✓.
- Using moins quart instead of moins le quart ❌ → moins le quart ✓.
- Confusing midi and minuit – midi is noon (light outside), minuit is midnight (dark).
Practice Exercises
Write the following times in French:
- 2:15 → Il est __________.
- 7:45 → Il est __________.
- 12:30 PM → Il est __________.
- 5:10 → Il est __________.
- 9:55 → Il est __________.
Answers: deux heures et quart / huit heures moins le quart (or sept heures quarante-cinq) / midi et demie / cinq heures dix / dix heures moins cinq.
Final Tips
- For 30 minutes past, always use et demie (never et trente in casual speech).
- For 15 minutes past, et quart is common; for 15 minutes to, moins le quart.
- In everyday conversation, the 12-hour system is fine; use 24-hour for trains, planes, official schedules.
- Practice by looking at a clock several times a day and saying the time out loud in French.
With these patterns, you'll be able to tell time naturally and understand when others tell you the time in French.