Lost in Translation? Discover the Intricacies of French Timekeeping

It’s essential to know how to ask for and tell the time in our everyday lives. Hence, it is a key topic to learn in French just like any other language. Be it knowing when to meet a friend or when to reach a venue for a job interview, you need the knowledge of time. So, in this blog, we will teach you how you can tell time in French. 

You will learn about telling time as per the 24-hour clock and 12-hour clock, and how to express time in fractions. So, let’s begin our discussion on telling time in French without any further ado. 

Asking Time in French

Let’s begin by learning how you can go about asking time in French. We have shown below the casual and formal ways to ask for time in the language. Choose the appropriate tone depending on the situation. For instance, you can use a casual tone for your friends and family members. On the other hand, you will use a formal tone for strangers. 

Casual Tone	est quelle heure ? (What time is it?)
Formal Tone	Quelle heure est-il, s’il vous plait? (What is the time, please?)
Tone With a Close Friend	T’as l’heure ? (What’s the time?)

Also Read: Counting From 1 to 100: A Journey in French Numbers

Telling Time in French: 24-Hour Clock

Time in French is based on the 24-hour clock, while in English, the 12-hour clock is more frequently used. We measure time mainly with hours, minutes, and seconds: Une heure/ les heures (hour/ hours), Une minute/ les minutes (minute / minutes), and Une seconde/ les secondes (second / seconds).

Before Noon Hours

Let’s see how we describe the before noon hours in French:

Time in English	Time in French
One o’clock	une heure
Two o’clock	deux heures
Three o’clock	trois heures
Four o’clock	quatre heures
Five o’clock	cinq heures
Six o’clock	six heures
Seven o’clock	sept heures
Eight o’clock	huit heures
Nine o’clock	neuf heures
Ten o’clock	dix heures
Eleven o’clock	onze heures
Twelve o’clock	douze heures/ il est midi

Afternoon Hours

Let’s see how we describe the afternoon hours in French: 

Time in English	Time in French
One o’clock	treize heures
Two o’clock	quatorze heures
Three o’clock	quinze heures
Four o’clock	seize heures
Five o’clock	dix-sept heures
Six o’clock	dix-huit heures
Seven o’clock	dix-neuf heures
Eight o’clock.	vingt heures
Nine o’clock	vingt et une heures
Ten o’clock	vingt-deux heures
Eleven o’clock	vingt-trois heures
Twelve o’clock	minuit

Adding Minutes 

You easily add minutes to the time by mentioning the number of minutes after the hour, as shown in the examples below. 

Example in French	Meaning
2 heures et cinquante-cinq minutes	2:55am
neuf heures trente	9:30am
dix-sept heures et quinze	5:15pm

Telling Time in French: 12-Hour Clock

Discussing time in French with the 12-hour clock is similar to discussing it with the 24-hour clock, however, you have to indicate clearly if you are talking about before noon or afternoon. See below some vocabulary that will help you indicate the time of the day. 

In the morning	du matin
In the afternoon	de l’après-midi
In the evening	du soir
Noon (12pm)	midi
Midnight (12am)	minuit

Fractions of Time

There are several ways to express time as fractions in French with the 12-hour clock, as shown in the examples below. 

For 15 minutes before the hour	moins le quart
For 15 minutes past the hour	et quart
For 30 minutes past the hour	et demie

Also Read: The Ultimate Guide to French Nouns For Beginners

Time in French Quiz: Test Your Knowledge

Check your knowledge of time in French by answering the following questions. 

Q1 – True or False: You can describe three o’clock (before noon) as quinze heures in French. 

Q2 – Fill in the Blank: In French, 9:30am can be described as  _________.

Q3 – Match the following times in French with their correct meaning in English:

a) One o’clock (Before Noon)	1. vingt et une heures
b) Two o’clock (Before Noon)	2. vingt-trois heures
c) Eleven o’clock (Afternoon)	3. deux heures
d) Nine o’clock (Afternoon)	4. une heure

Q4 – True or False: You can describe 5:15pm as dix-sept heures et quinze in French. 

Answers: A1 – True, A2 – neuf heures trente, A3 – a): 4; b): 3; c): 2; d) 1, A4 – True

Relevant Reads:

Mastering French Pronouns: A Complete Guide	Beyond Salut: Introducing Yourself in French As A Beginner
50+ Basic French Language Words You Need to Know Before Getting Started	Articles in French Made Easy: A Cheat Sheet for Beginners
Verbs in French: Check Out The List of Common French Verbs	A-Z with Ease: Learn the French Alphabet with Pronunciation Like a Breeze!

FAQs

And we are done with the time in French. Explore Leverage Edu’s study abroad resources for more educative blogs on the French language daily. Ready, set, lingo!