Vingt-trois heures trente-cinq might be a clumsy way of expressing 'twenty five to midnight' but surely it is not incorrect?
In this lesson, we will focus on how to express 12-hour clock times, and how to say half past, quarter to/past, ...
Look at these examples:
Note that to say it is + [time], you use Il est + [heure] (NEVER c'est).
You also always need heure(s) after the number, except for midnight and noon:
Half past [hour] = [heure] et demie
To express half past, you add et demie after number [heure(s)], EXCEPT for minuit and midi:
Quarter past / quarter to [hour] = [heure] et quart / moins le quart
To express quarter past and quarter to, you add et quart (past) or moins le quart (literally minus the quarter) after number [heure(s)].
[minutes] past [hour] = [heure] [minutes]
To express [minutes] *past* [hour], you simply add the number of minutes (cinq, dix,...) AFTER number [heure(s)].
[minutes] to [hour] = [heure] moins [minutes]
To express [minutes] *to* [hour], you simply add moins + [number of minutes] (Literally minus five, minus ten...) AFTER number [heure(s)].
See also the more advanced lesson on how to use the 24-hour clock and differentiate between AM and PM in French:
Telling time in French - AM vs PM
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Q&A Forum 9 questions, 18 answers
Hi John,
You are right in thinking that it is technically correct but I'm not sure you'd hear it in Fench as much as -
Minuit moins vingt-cinq
If it is marked wrong in a quiz you could query by using the 'report it' button on your correction board, which will link to the specific quiz.
Hope this helps!
John asked:View original
Expressing times around midnight
Vingt-trois heures trente-cinq might be a clumsy way of expressing 'twenty five to midnight' but surely it is not incorrect?
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DrewKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
24-Hr Clock
"It is twenty-five past nine." The answer: Il est neuf heures vingt-cinq. But why isn't "Il est vingt et un heures vingt-cinq" a valid answer?
Asked 1 year ago
Drew asked:View original
24-Hr Clock
"It is twenty-five past nine." The answer: Il est neuf heures vingt-cinq. But why isn't "Il est vingt et un heures vingt-cinq" a valid answer?
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RoyKwiziq community member
Normally today we use "eight forty" as an example, is "huit quarante" acceptible, or "huit heure quarante"?
Asked 1 year ago
Never heard "huit quarante", only "huit heures quarante".
Roy asked:View original
Normally today we use "eight forty" as an example, is "huit quarante" acceptible, or "huit heure quarante"?
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Kwiziq community member
why is a quarter to "moins le quart," but "moins quart," is not allowed?
Asked 1 year ago
Hi Fiona,
there's no justification except "that's just the way it is".
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
TimothyKwiziq community member
The way to think of it is moins le quart literally means minus the quarter.
Example:
Il est cinq heures moins le quart. Think of this as ... It is five o'clock minus the quarter which would make it 4:45.
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Tom RuneKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Demi/demie
Is there a reason it should be "et demie" and not "et demi"? The former is the feminine and the latter the masculine form, right?
Asked 2 years ago
Kwiziq Q&A regular contributorCorrect answer
L'heure is a grammatically feminine noun, therefore, the adjective has to match the noun and is the feminine form demie.
Une demie-heure (30 minutes)
Une heure et demie [heure] (1h30)
Une heure et demie [heure] (1h30)
Hope that helps.
Jim
Tom Rune asked:View original
Demi/demie
Is there a reason it should be "et demie" and not "et demi"? The former is the feminine and the latter the masculine form, right?
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ReneKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Just a comment.
My French penpal drilled into my head "et demie", deux heures et demie, onze heures et demie, but she never told me about "midi/minuit et demi", which I learned here. :-)
Asked 2 years ago
Ron Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Like you, I continue to learn new grammatical phrasing on this site. That is the main reason that I find it excellent. I have been studying French language and culture for a number of years and I continue to learn something new from nearly every resource that I study. This is one of the best I have found.
Félicitations et bonne continuation !
Ron
Rene asked:View original
Just a comment.
My French penpal drilled into my head "et demie", deux heures et demie, onze heures et demie, but she never told me about "midi/minuit et demi", which I learned here. :-)
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TonyKwiziq community member
Hello,
On one of my quizzes, I was asked how to say 25 min before midnight. I answered vingt trois heures vingt cinq. It was wrong, but I don't understand why even after reading over the lesson again, and looking on the internet. Could someone please help clarify this for me? Thanks,
Tony
Asked 2 years ago
Ron Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Bonsoir Tony,
Firstly, 25 minutes before midnight would be 11:35 PM or in French:
vingt trois heures trent-cinq or
minuit moins ving-cinq
Bonne chance
TonyKwiziq community member
Oops, thanks for that-I guess I got confused with the times, I suppose I need to work on my french numbers.
Tony
Ron Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
In all probability, you were thinking in English, not in French. It is like, an analogy if you will, playing soccer (le foot) and thinking about American football. It just doesn't quite work correctly. You will know that you are beginning to make progress when you catch yourself thinking in French. I had one prof who told me that i would begin dreaming at night in French; however, I haven't reached that stage yet. ;o)
J'espère que ma réponse vous aiderait.
Bonne chance et bonne continuation dans vos études en français, la langue de Molière et qui a été utilisé par le monde depuis l’époque d’Hugues Capet
Tony asked:View original
Hello,
On one of my quizzes, I was asked how to say 25 min before midnight. I answered vingt trois heures vingt cinq. It was wrong, but I don't understand why even after reading over the lesson again, and looking on the internet. Could someone please help clarify this for me? Thanks,
Tony
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MichaelKwiziq community member
Alternate Way of 'Half Past the Hour
Is it acceptable to alternatively say 'il est cinq heures et trente' as well as '...et demie/demi'? I ask because I noticed the structure for expressing time is identical to Italian, where one can use '...e trenta' as well as '...e mezzo' for expressing half past the hour.
Asked 3 years ago
CherylKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Bonjour Michael,
I recently saw this lesson on kwizik. Yes, apparently, you can use either expression for the half hour, but it's more 'elegant' to use only 'trente' after mid-day! Up until mid-day, it's ok to use either expression.
Cheryl
MichaelKwiziq community member
Hello Cheryl.
Thank you very much for taking a moment to answer my question. As well, thank you for the extra bit about when to use them... I had no idea!!
Bonne journée.
Michael
CherylKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
De rien!
I remember the rule about using trente & also quinze instead of et demi & et quart after mid-day, by thinking about the film The Gremlins: "don't feed them or get them wet after midnight!".
..et demi & et quart are the Gremlins: don't use them after mid-day.
Cheryl
AurélieKwiziq team member
Just a little precision to Cheryl's very informative comments ;)
When you use "trente" or "quinze", you don't need the "et" :
Il est quinze heures trente. / Il est trois heures et demie.
Il est treize heures quinze. / Il est une heure et quart.
Michael asked:View original
Alternate Way of 'Half Past the Hour
Is it acceptable to alternatively say 'il est cinq heures et trente' as well as '...et demie/demi'? I ask because I noticed the structure for expressing time is identical to Italian, where one can use '...e trenta' as well as '...e mezzo' for expressing half past the hour.
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CatherineKwiziq community member
How to tell the time in French
Where it says treize heures moins cinq, just above Jargon Busters, should that translate as 2:55 rather than 0:55?
Asked 4 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Catherine !
Indeed, "treize heures moins cinq" actually means "12:55", so thanks for pointing it out to us! We actually changed to "vingt heures moins cinq" to highlight the difference between 7:55 and 19:55 !
Merci!
AurélieKwiziq team member
Following your post, I decided to completely upgrade this lesson, to make it even clearer!!!
Have a look there: https://www.french-test.com/revision/grammar/how-to-tell-the-time-in-french-simple
Catherine asked:View original
How to tell the time in French
Where it says treize heures moins cinq, just above Jargon Busters, should that translate as 2:55 rather than 0:55?
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