In this grammar lesson you will learn how to tell time French.
In this lesson you will learn about:
- 12-hour clock versus 24-hour clock
- how to tell time in French with the 12-hour clock
- how to tell time in French with the 24-hour clock
- how you can quiz yourself on how to tell time in French
- how to practice with flashcards on how to tell time in French
- how and why you should use the courses of Language Atlas to learn French
Please refer to the French A1 Curriculum to get a better overview of French grammar, if you are curious about this fits in French A1.
By the end of the lesson, you will know all about how to tell time in French!
Table of Contents
12 Hour Clock Versus 24 Hour Clock
If you are from an English speaking country, odds are you are used to using the 12-hour clock.
In France however, the 24-hour clock is preferred.
In this lesson I have described both methods.
If you want to know how to tell time in French, then I recommend that you read both, but focus on the 24-hour clock, as it is used more often.
If you have not done so already, please read the lesson on numbers in French before you proceed with this lesson.
You will use a lot of numbers, so it’s important that you know the numberes in French.
How to Tell Time in French: 12 Hour Clock
You have to use the following idiom to tell time in French
- il est + [heure] = it is [time]
Please look at the following examples to get a practical understanding on how to tell time in French.
Quelle heure est-il ?
What time is it?
Il est une heure.
It is one o’clock.
01:00/13:00
Il est trois heures.
It is three o’clock.
03:00/15:00
Il est six heures.
It is six o’clock.
06:00/18:00.
Il est midi.
It is noon.
12:00
Il est minuit.
It is midnight.
00:00
Midnight and noon don’t need heure(s) after them. All other hours must have heure(s) after them.
If you want to talk about half hours in French, then you will use the following idiom:
- (heure) et demie = half past (hour)
Il est sept heures et demie.
It is half past seven.
07:30/19:30
Il est deux heures et demie.
It is half past two.
02:30/14:30
Il est huit heures et demie.
It is half past eight.
08:30/20:30
Il est midi et demi.
It is half past noon.
12:30
Il est minuit et demi.
It is half past midnight.
0:30
If you want to talk about quarter hours in French, then you will use the following idiom:
- [heure] et quart / moins le quart = quarter past / quarter to [hour]
Il est quatre heures moins le quart.
It is quarter to four.
03:45/15:45
Il est neuf heures et quart.
It is quarter past nine.
09:15/21:15
Il est dix heures et quart.
It is quarter past ten.
10:15/22:15
Il est midi moins le quart.
It is quarter to twelve/noon.
11:45
Il est minuit et quart.
It is quarter past midnight.
00:15
If you want to talk about minutes past the hour, then you will use the following idiom:
- [heure] [minutes] = [minutes] past [hour]
Il est deux heures dix.
It is ten past two.
02:10/14:10
Il est neuf heures dix.
It is ten past nine.
09:10/21:10
Il est trois heures vingt.
It is twenty past three.
03:20/15:20
As you can see, you simply add the minutes after the number of hours.
If you want to talk about minutes to the hour, then you will use the following idiom:
- [heure] moins [minutes] = [minutes] to [hour]
Il est trois heures moins cinq.
It is five to three.
02:55/14:55
Il est sept heures moins dix.
It is ten to seven.
06:50/18:50.
Il est deux heures moins vingt.
It is twenty to two.
01:40/13:40
As you can see, you simply say the hour (heure) minus (moins) the minutes.
You may have noticed there are always two possibilities for every option.
The context will reveal which one people mean.
People won’t decide to meet at 3 a.m. so it’s safe to assume 3 p.m.
However, if you want to be more precise, you can add the following terms:
- du matin (in the morning)
- de l’après-midi (in the afternoon
- du soir (in the evening, which starts at 6PM)
Il est sept heures du matin.
It is 7 AM.
07:00
Il est deux heures et demie de l’après-midi.
It is two-thirty PM.
14:30
Il est sept heures du soir.
It is 7 PM.
19:00
How to Tell Time in French: 24 Hour Clock
In France most people use the 24-hour clock.
This adds a level of precision, and gets rid of any ambiguity.
When people talk about time, it’s safe to assume that they are referring to the 24-hour clock.
Don’t forget the idiom for telling time in French:
il est + [heure] = it is [time]
Il est 2 heures.
It is 2 a.m.
02:00
Il est 9 heures.
It is 9 a.m.
09:00
Il est 13 heures.
It is 1 p.m.
13:00
Il est 16 heures.
It is 4 p.m.
16:00
Il est 19 heures.
It is 7 p.m.
19:00
Il est 23 heures.
It is 11 p.m.
23:00
The 24-hour o’clock doesn’t use et quart, et demie, moins le quart but rather quinze, trente, quarante-cinq.
Il est treize heures quinze.
It is quarter past one (PM).
13:15
​​Il est quatorze heures trente.
It is half past two (PM).
14:30
Il est quinze heures quarante-cinq
It is quarter to four (PM).
15:45
Quiz Yourself on How to Tell Time in French
At the end of every lesson you can do a small quiz.
You will see the sentences of the previous chapter.
You will either need to fill in the blanks, choose the correct multiple choice option, or both.
Once you are done the correct answer will be shown.
You can redo the quiz as many times as you want.
How to Practice With Flashcards for This Lesson
Using flashcards is an absolute necessity when it comes to learning a language!
It is the best way to memorize what you learn, you can personalize your progression because it adapts to your actions, and all flashcards have audio to improve your hearing and pronunciation.
Please read our article on how to learn a new language for more information on flashcards and the best way to learn a new language.
There are two ways to practice with Flashcards for this lesson.
- Anki
- The Flashcards in our Courses
Anki is a free software with which you can create and practice flashcards.
After you have downloaded Anki for free, you can get our French A1 Anki Deck.
This Anki Deck contains 3,764 flashcards with which you can practice absolutely everything for French A1.
All the flashcards have text, images, explanations, and audio.
You can also use our courses that have flashcards integrated alongside lessons with audio, quizzes and much more!
However, I am sure you are wondering, what are your courses, and why should I take them?
The Courses of Language Atlas
Have you ever wondered what the best way is to learn a new language?
I have been learning languages for over 20+ years and I was always frustrated with books, courses, and classes that I had tried.
It never really seemed to work for me.
I wanted to learn a language in the most effective and efficient way, and there was nothing out there for me.
So I thought, “why not make something myself?“.
Using my experience and by doing research I created Language Atlas, a platform where people can learn French and Spanish in the most effective and efficient way.
I created free lessons and quizzes so that there would always be a easy and accessible way for people to learn or brush up on their language skills.
However, I also created courses that are much more comprehensive and in-depth.
These courses are easy to follow, clear, and allow you to become fluent in the most effective and efficient way.
The courses of Language Atlas have:
- 800+ Lessons with audio
- 800+ Quizzes
- 10,000 Flashcards with explanations, images, and audio
- A gamified way of learning a new language
- A vibrant community (including support from me)
You can register for free and try the French A0/A1 and Spanish A0/A1 Courses for free!
This includes over 60 lessons and quizzes, 500 flashcards that adapt to how you learn, and access to the community (including support from me).
All you have to do is study 30 minutes a day and you will be fluent in no time!
Don’t miss out – register for free and start learning!
