How To Tell Time In French (Dire L’Heure Sans Panique)

The first time someone asked me Quelle heure est-il ? /kɛl œʁ e.til/ — what time is it? — I froze. I knew my numbers. I knew heure /œʁ/ meant “hour”. But my brain panicked and I proudly answered: “Il est vingt heure deux…” in the middle of the afternoon.

Good news: telling time in French looks scarier than it is. Once you know the patterns — and when to use midi /mi.di/, minuit /mi.nɥi/, du matin /dy ma.tɛ̃/ and friends — it becomes one of those skills that just runs in the background while you worry about more important things, like how to order pastries.

By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to:

Ask for the time and answer smoothly
Use both the 12-hour “everyday” way and the 24-hour “train station” way
Say natural phrases like vers huit heures et demie — around half past eight — without stopping to build the sentence in your head

Quick Primer On French Time Words

Let’s grab the core building blocks.

On first mentions:

une heure /yn œʁ/ — an hour; il est une heure /il ɛ ty.n‿œʁ/ — it’s one o’clock
des heures /dez‿œʁ/ — hours (plural)
une minute /yn mi.nyt/ — a minute
une seconde /yn sə.ɡɔ̃d/ — a second
Quelle heure est-il ? /kɛl œʁ e.til/ — What time is it?
Il est… /il ɛ/ — It is… (for telling the time)

Two key patterns:

To ask the time:
- Quelle heure est-il ? — classic and safe
- More informal: Il est quelle heure ? /il ɛ kɛl œʁ/ — literally “It is what time?”
To tell the time:
- Il est deux heures. /il ɛ døz‿œʁ/ — It’s two o’clock.
- Il est deux heures dix. /il ɛ døz‿œʁ dis/ — It’s 2:10.

French time lives mostly inside that Il est + [hour] heure(s) + [minutes] pattern. Once this feels normal, everything else is just decoration.

Asking For And Telling The Time: Core Phrases

Essential Questions

Here are the questions you’ll hear and use the most:

French	IPA	English
Quelle heure est-il ?	kɛl œʁ e.til	What time is it?
Il est quelle heure ?	il ɛ kɛl œʁ	What time is it? (informal)
À quelle heure… ?	a kɛl œʁ	At what time…?
À quelle heure commence le film ?	a kɛl œʁ kɔ.mɑ̃s lə film	What time does the movie start?

Basic Answers: On The Hour

Pattern:

Il est + [number] heure(s).

Examples:

French	IPA	English
Il est une heure.	il ɛ ty.n‿œʁ	It’s one o’clock.
Il est deux heures.	il ɛ døz‿œʁ	It’s two o’clock.
Il est trois heures.	il ɛ tʁwɑz‿œʁ	It’s three o’clock.
Il est quatre heures.	il ɛ katʁ‿œʁ	It’s four o’clock.

Notice:

At one o’clock, you must say une heure, not un heure.
From two onwards, you use heures (plural), even though the final s is silent.

Special Friends: Midi And Minuit

On first mentions:

midi /mi.di/ — noon
minuit /mi.nɥi/ — midnight

Instead of saying douze heures:

Il est midi. /il ɛ mi.di/ — It’s noon.
Il est minuit. /il ɛ mi.nɥi/ — It’s midnight.

These are very common and sound more natural than douze heures in everyday speech.

Minutes, Quarters, And Half Hours (The Useful Bits)

Once you’re comfortable with full hours, adding minutes is just Lego.

Regular Minutes

Pattern:

Il est + [hour] heure(s) + [minutes].

Examples:

French	IPA	English
Il est deux heures cinq.	il ɛ døz‿œʁ sɛ̃k	It’s 2:05.
Il est trois heures dix.	il ɛ tʁwɑz‿œʁ dis	It’s 3:10.
Il est quatre heures vingt.	il ɛ katʁ‿œʁ vɛ̃	It’s 4:20.
Il est six heures vingt-cinq.	il ɛ siz‿œʁ vɛ̃.sɛ̃k	It’s 6:25.
Il est sept heures trente.	il ɛ sεt‿œʁ tʁɑ̃t	It’s 7:30.

You just stack the numbers you know on top of heure(s).

And A Quarter, And A Half

On first mentions:

et quart /e kaʁ/ — and a quarter (15 past)
et demie /e də.mi/ — and a half (30 past, feminine to agree with heure)

Examples:

French	IPA	English
Il est deux heures et quart.	il ɛ døz‿œʁ e kaʁ	It’s 2:15.
Il est trois heures et demie.	il ɛ tʁwɑz‿œʁ e də.mi	It’s 3:30.
Il est quatre heures et quart.	il ɛ katʁ‿œʁ e kaʁ	It’s 4:15.
Il est cinq heures et demie.	il ɛ sɛ̃k‿œʁ e də.mi	It’s 5:30.

You’ll also sometimes hear et demi /e də.mi/ in casual speech even though heure is feminine; it doesn’t block communication.

“Minus” The Quarter: Moins Le Quart

On first mention:

moins le quart /mwɛ̃ lə kaʁ/ — minus a quarter

Instead of saying 5:45 as “five forty-five”, French often sees it as “six minus a quarter”:

Il est six heures moins le quart. /il ɛ siz‿œʁ mwɛ̃ lə kaʁ/
It’s a quarter to six / 5:45.

Other “minus” times:

Il est quatre heures moins dix. /il ɛ katʁ‿œʁ mwɛ̃ dis/ — It’s 3:50.
Il est huit heures moins cinq. /il ɛ ɥit‿œʁ mwɛ̃ sɛ̃k/ — It’s 7:55.

Usage note: You can always choose the fully digital version instead if your brain is tired:

Il est cinq heures quarante-cinq. /… ka.ʁɑ̃t.sɛ̃k/ — 5:45
Il est sept heures cinquante-cinq. /… sɛ̃.kɑ̃t.sɛ̃k/ — 7:55

Both are understood; “moins le quart” just sounds especially natural.

Using The 24-Hour Clock Like A Local

France loves the 24-hour clock /laʁʒɛ̃t a vɛ̃.katʁ œʁ/ for official things:

Train times
Movie showtimes
Work schedules
Appointments

On first mention:

quatorze heures /ka.tɔʁz‿œʁ/ — 14:00 (2 pm)
dix-huit heures trente /di.zɥit‿œʁ tʁɑ̃t/ — 18:30 (6:30 pm)

Pattern:

[number] heures [minutes].

Examples you’ll see and hear:

French	IPA	English
huit heures	ɥit‿œʁ	08:00
treize heures	tʁɛz‿œʁ	13:00 (1 pm)
quinze heures quinze	kɛ̃z‿œʁ kɛ̃z	15:15 (3:15 pm)
dix-huit heures	di.zɥit‿œʁ	18:00 (6 pm)
vingt heures trente	vɛ̃t‿œʁ tʁɑ̃t	20:30 (8:30 pm)
vingt-trois heures cinquante	vɛ̃.tʁwɑz‿œʁ sɛ̃.kɑ̃t	23:50 (11:50 pm)

Typical conversation:

Le train part à quatorze heures vingt.
/lə tʁɛ̃ paʁ a ka.tɔʁz‿œʁ vɛ̃/
The train leaves at 14:20 (2:20 pm).
Le film commence à vingt et une heures.
/lə film kɔ.mɑ̃s a vɛ̃.te.t‿yn‿œʁ/
The movie starts at 21:00 (9 pm).

Usage note:

In casual conversation, many people switch between 12-hour-ish language and 24-hour numbers, especially for anything after lunch:
On se voit vers dix-neuf heures ? — Want to meet around 7 pm?

Talking About Parts Of The Day (Morning, Afternoon, Evening)

To be clearer than just numbers, French often adds du matin /dy ma.tɛ̃/, de l’après-midi /də la.pʁɛ.mi.di/, du soir /dy swaʁ/.

On first mentions:

du matin /dy ma.tɛ̃/ — in the morning
de l’après-midi /də la.pʁɛ.mi.di/ — in the afternoon
du soir /dy swaʁ/ — in the evening

Examples:

Il est sept heures du matin.
/il ɛ sɛt‿œʁ dy ma.tɛ̃/
It’s seven in the morning.
Le cours commence à trois heures de l’après-midi.
/lə kuʁ kɔ.mɑ̃s a tʁwɑz‿œʁ də la.pʁɛ.mi.di/
The class starts at three in the afternoon.
On dîne vers huit heures du soir.
/ɔ̃ din vɛʁ ɥit‿œʁ dy swaʁ/
We have dinner around eight in the evening.

You can combine this with the 12-hour style or 24-hour numbers depending on context.

Usage Notes & Common Mistakes (So You Don’t Fight The Clock)

1. Il Est, Not C’est (Most Of The Time)

Textbooks love:

Quelle heure est-il ?
Il est trois heures.

In real life you’ll also hear:

C’est quelle heure ? /sɛ kɛl œʁ/ — very informal
Il est trois heures. — still the standard answer

As a learner, aim for Il est… when giving the time; it’s always correct and sounds natural.

2. Forgetting The Plural

Remember:

une heure — one o’clock
deux heures, trois heures… — add plural s (even if you don’t hear it).

So:

✓ Il est deux heures.
✗ Il est deux heure.

3. Mixing Up Midi / Minuit / Douze Heures

You’ll sound more natural if you use:

Il est midi. — It’s noon.
Il est minuit. — It’s midnight.

You will see douze heures on timetables, but in speech midi and minuit are your best friends.

4. Confusing 14:00 And 4:00

When you see quatorze heures, don’t panic:

14:00 = 2 pm
16:00 = 4 pm (seize heures /sez‿œʁ/)

A quick mental trick: subtract 12 from anything above 12 to get the “pm” version.

5. Overcomplicating When You’re Tired

If moins le quart is frying your circuits, remember you can always “go digital”:

Instead of six heures moins le quart (5:45), you can say cinq heures quarante-cinq.
Both are correct; one is just more idiomatic.

Region Notes: Time In France And Elsewhere

On first mention:

un horaire /œ̃ ɔ.ʁɛʁ/ — a schedule

In France, you’ll notice:

Schedules use the 24-hour clock almost everywhere: trains, buses, official events.
Spoken language often mixes “normal” phrases with 24-hour numbers for later times:
On mange vers vingt heures. — We’ll eat around 8 pm.

In other francophone regions:

The 24-hour clock also appears widely in official contexts.
The casual, spoken side — midi, minuit, du matin, du soir — stays very similar, so what you learn here travels well.

Mini Dialogues (Dire L’Heure Comme Un Local)

Each line: French, IPA, then natural English.

Dialogue 1: Asking The Time Politely

Excusez-moi, s’il vous plaît, quelle heure est-il ?
/ɛk.sky.ze.mwa sil vu plɛ kɛl œʁ e.til/
Excuse me, please, what time is it?

Il est trois heures et demie.
/il ɛ tʁwɑz‿œʁ e də.mi/
It’s half past three.

Merci beaucoup !
/mɛʁ.si bo.ku/
Thank you very much!

De rien, bonne journée !
/də ʁjɛ̃ bɔn ʒuʁ.ne/
You’re welcome, have a nice day!

Dialogue 2: Making Plans

On se voit à quelle heure ce soir ?
/ɔ̃ sə vwa a kɛl œʁ sə swaʁ/
What time are we meeting tonight?

Vers vingt heures, devant le cinéma ?
/vɛʁ vɛ̃t‿œʁ də.vɑ̃ lə si.ne.ma/
Around 8 pm, in front of the cinema?

Parfait, à vingt heures alors.
/paʁ.fɛ a vɛ̃t‿œʁ a.lɔʁ/
Perfect, at 8 pm then.

D’accord, à tout à l’heure !
/da.kɔʁ a tu.ta.lœʁ/
Okay, see you later!

Dialogue 3: Work And 24-Hour Time

Tu finis à quelle heure aujourd’hui ?
/ty fi.ni a kɛl œʁ o.ʒuʁ.dɥi/
What time do you finish today?

Je finis à dix-huit heures trente.
/ʒə fi.ni a di.zɥit‿œʁ tʁɑ̃t/
I finish at 6:30 pm.

Et demain ?
/e də.mɛ̃/
And tomorrow?

Demain, je finis à dix-sept heures, c’est mieux.
/də.mɛ̃ ʒə fi.ni a di.sɛt‿œʁ sɛ mjø/
Tomorrow I finish at 5 pm, that’s better.

Quick Reference: Time Phrases To Screenshot

French	IPA	English
Quelle heure est-il ?	kɛl œʁ e.til	What time is it?
Il est quelle heure ?	il ɛ kɛl œʁ	What time is it? (informal)
Il est une heure.	il ɛ ty.n‿œʁ	It’s one o’clock.
Il est deux heures.	il ɛ døz‿œʁ	It’s two o’clock.
Il est trois heures dix.	il ɛ tʁwɑz‿œʁ dis	It’s 3:10.
Il est quatre heures et quart.	il ɛ katʁ‿œʁ e kaʁ	It’s 4:15.
Il est cinq heures et demie.	il ɛ sɛ̃k‿œʁ e də.mi	It’s 5:30.
Il est six heures moins le quart.	il ɛ siz‿œʁ mwɛ̃ lə kaʁ	It’s 5:45.
Il est midi.	il ɛ mi.di	It’s noon.
Il est minuit.	il ɛ mi.nɥi	It’s midnight.
Il est huit heures du matin.	il ɛ ɥit‿œʁ dy ma.tɛ̃	It’s 8 am.
Il est neuf heures du soir.	il ɛ nœv‿œʁ dy swaʁ	It’s 9 pm.
à quelle heure ?	a kɛl œʁ	at what time?
à huit heures	a ɥit‿œʁ	at eight o’clock
vers sept heures	vɛʁ sɛt‿œʁ	around seven o’clock
tôt	to	early
tard	taʁ	late
ce matin	sə ma.tɛ̃	this morning
cet après-midi	sɛt‿a.pʁɛ.mi.di	this afternoon
ce soir	sə swaʁ	this evening
à tout à l’heure	a tu.ta.lœʁ	see you later (today)
maintenant	mɛ̃.tnɑ̃	now

Five-Minute Practice Plan: Make The Clock Speak French

Hour-Only Warmup (1 minute)
Say the hours from 1 to 12 with Il est:
Il est une heure. Il est deux heures. Il est trois heures…
Focus on the liaison: deux heures /døz‿œʁ/, trois heures /tʁwɑz‿œʁ/.
Quarter And Half Drill (1 minute)
Say:
Il est deux heures et quart.
Il est deux heures et demie.
Il est trois heures moins le quart.
Repeat them twice, then try with other hours: 4, 5, 7.
24-Hour Conversion Game (1–2 minutes)
Take these times and say them in French:
- 14:00 → quatorze heures
- 18:30 → dix-huit heures trente
- 21:15 → vingt et une heures quinze
- 09:45 → neuf heures quarante-cinq or dix heures moins le quart
Mini Self-Interview (1 minute)
Answer in French:
Tu te lèves à quelle heure ?
Tu manges à quelle heure ?
Tu te couches à quelle heure ?
Keep the answers short but real.
Real-World Mission (30 seconds)
Decide on one real sentence you’ll actually use today or tomorrow, for example:
On se parle vers huit heures ?
or
Le cours commence à quelle heure, déjà ?
Say it out loud now so it’s ready when you need it.

Let Your French Live In Real Time

Telling time in French is one of those skills that quietly upgrades everything: making plans, arriving on time, surviving train stations, and understanding when your French friend says they’ll be “five minutes late” (which, culturally, may mean something else entirely).

Once Il est sept heures et demie, à quelle heure ?, aujourd’hui à dix-huit heures start to feel automatic, French stops being something that lives only in your textbook. It starts ticking along with your real life — meeting people, going places, and, yes, occasionally being fashionably late like a true francophone yak.