If you want to use French in real life, learning how to tell time is one of the first practical skills to master.
You need it for trains, school, work, appointments, restaurant bookings, and daily conversation. The good news is that telling time in French is not too hard once you know the main patterns.
In this guide, you will learn how to tell time in French, how to ask the time, how to talk about exact times and common expressions, and which beginner mistakes to avoid.
The most useful question first
The most important question is:
Quelle heure est-il ?
What time is it?
A natural answer looks like this:
Il est trois heures.
It is three o’clock.
That pattern is the base for almost everything else.
The basic rule for telling time in French
French usually uses this structure:
Il est + hour + heure / heures
Examples:
- Il est une heure. = It is 1:00.
- Il est deux heures. = It is 2:00.
- Il est cinq heures. = It is 5:00.
A very important detail:
- use une heure for 1:00
- use heures for most other hours
Hours in French
Here are the basic hour forms:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| une heure | one o’clock |
| deux heures | two o’clock |
| trois heures | three o’clock |
| quatre heures | four o’clock |
| cinq heures | five o’clock |
| six heures | six o’clock |
| sept heures | seven o’clock |
| huit heures | eight o’clock |
| neuf heures | nine o’clock |
| dix heures | ten o’clock |
| onze heures | eleven o’clock |
| douze heures | twelve o’clock |
If you still need help with the numbers themselves, our Numbers in French 1–100 guide can help.
How to say minutes in French
To add minutes, use this pattern:
Il est + hour + heure(s) + minutes
Examples:
- Il est deux heures dix. = It is 2:10.
- Il est quatre heures vingt. = It is 4:20.
- Il est six heures quarante. = It is 6:40.
This is already enough for many real situations.
The most common special time expressions
French often uses a few very common shortcuts.
Half past
- et demie after une heure
- et demie or et demi depending on agreement in some set uses, but for beginners the most useful forms are easy to memorize as whole phrases
Examples:
- Il est une heure et demie. = It is 1:30.
- Il est deux heures et demie. = It is 2:30.
Quarter past
- et quart = quarter past
Examples:
- Il est trois heures et quart. = It is 3:15.
- Il est neuf heures et quart. = It is 9:15.
Quarter to
- moins le quart = quarter to
Examples:
- Il est cinq heures moins le quart. = It is 4:45.
- Il est huit heures moins le quart. = It is 7:45.
Minutes to the next hour
French also often says the next hour minus some minutes.
Examples:
- Il est six heures moins dix. = It is 5:50.
- Il est midi moins cinq. = It is 11:55.
This can feel strange at first, but it becomes natural with practice.
Special words you should know
Some time words appear very often.
- midi = noon
- minuit = midnight
- du matin = in the morning
- de l’après-midi = in the afternoon
- du soir = in the evening
Examples:
- Il est midi. = It is noon.
- Il est minuit. = It is midnight.
- Il est huit heures du matin. = It is 8:00 in the morning.
- Il est trois heures de l’après-midi. = It is 3:00 in the afternoon.
- Il est neuf heures du soir. = It is 9:00 in the evening.
12-hour and 24-hour time in French
French uses both, but in daily speech people often say the hour naturally with context.
For example:
- Il est huit heures. could mean 8:00 AM or 8:00 PM depending on the situation.
- If you want to make it clearer, add:
- du matin
- de l’après-midi
- du soir
In written schedules, transport, and formal contexts, 24-hour time is also very common.
Examples:
- 14h30 = 2:30 PM
- 18h00 = 6:00 PM
- 21h15 = 9:15 PM
When speaking, 14h30 is often said as:
quatorze heures trente
How to ask and answer time naturally
Here are some useful mini-patterns.
Asking the time
Quelle heure est-il ?
What time is it?
Asking when something happens
À quelle heure commence le cours ?
What time does the class start?
À quelle heure part le train ?
What time does the train leave?
Answering
Le cours commence à neuf heures.
The class starts at nine o’clock.
Le train part à dix-sept heures dix.
The train leaves at 5:10 PM.
Everyday examples
Here are some practical time sentences:
-
Je me réveille à sept heures.
I wake up at 7:00. -
Le déjeuner est à midi.
Lunch is at noon. -
Le film commence à huit heures et quart.
The movie starts at 8:15. -
Nous partons à six heures et demie.
We leave at 6:30. -
Le rendez-vous est à trois heures de l’après-midi.
The appointment is at 3:00 PM.
If you want to talk about dates too, our Months in French post is a useful companion.
Common mistakes learners make
1. Forgetting il est
In French, you normally say:
Il est trois heures.
Not just:
Trois heures.
2. Using English word order
French time expressions often follow their own pattern. It is better to learn them as full chunks:
- il est une heure
- il est deux heures et quart
- il est cinq heures moins dix
3. Mixing up midi and minuit
- midi = noon
- minuit = midnight
These two are easy to confuse at first.
4. Avoiding moins
Many learners only learn the “plus” style, like 5:40 = five forty. But in French, expressions with moins are very common:
- six heures moins vingt = 5:40
A simple way to study French time
A good order is:
- learn the hours
- learn et quart
- learn et demie
- learn moins le quart
- learn a few examples with moins dix or moins cinq
- practice with your own daily routine
For example:
- what time you wake up
- what time class starts
- what time you eat dinner
- what time you go to bed
That makes the topic feel much more real.
Quick practice
Try reading these aloud:
- Il est une heure.
- Il est quatre heures et quart.
- Il est sept heures et demie.
- Il est dix heures moins le quart.
- Il est midi.
- Il est minuit.
Now try these:
- 2:30
- 5:15
- 7:45
- 11:55
- 3:00 PM
Possible answers:
- Il est deux heures et demie.
- Il est cinq heures et quart.
- Il est huit heures moins le quart.
- Il est midi moins cinq.
- Il est trois heures de l’après-midi.
FAQ
How do you ask the time in French?
The most common question is:
Quelle heure est-il ?
How do you say 1:30 in French?
You say:
Il est une heure et demie.
How do you say 7:45 in French?
A common way is:
Il est huit heures moins le quart.
What is the difference between midi and minuit?
- midi means noon
- minuit means midnight
Final thoughts
Learning how to tell time in French is one of those small skills that becomes useful very quickly.
You do not need to memorize every possible pattern on the first day. Start with the basic hours, then add et quart, et demie, and a few common moins expressions.
Once you begin hearing and using these patterns in daily life, telling time in French starts to feel much more natural.