French · A1 · Vocabulary
How to Tell the Time in French: Hours, Minutes and Appointments
Ask Quelle heure est-il ? when you want the current time. Answer with Il est plus the hour and heure or heures. For an appointment, start with à: à huit heures means at eight. The 24-hour clock is useful for timetables, reservations and other situations where precision matters.
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Examples
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Il est une heure. | It’s one o’clock. |
| À dix-sept heures quinze. | At 17:15. |
| Il est midi. | It’s noon. |
Read a clock directly
At 8:10, say Il est huit heures dix. At 14:30, say Il est quatorze heures trente. For one o’clock, use une heure in the singular. French writing commonly uses h as a separator, as in 14 h 30.
Hear the everyday alternatives
Huit heures et quart is 8:15 and huit heures et demie is 8:30. Neuf heures moins le quart is a quarter to nine. Learn midi and minuit for noon and midnight. If you are confirming transport or an appointment, the direct numbers are an easy default.
Try it
A friend asks when the train leaves. Answer that it leaves at 19:20.
Show answer
Le train part à dix-neuf heures vingt.
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