In this lesson, you will focus on how to express 12-hour clock times, and how to say half past, quarter to/past, ...
How to say the time in French
Look at these examples:
To express it is [time], you use:
Il est + [heure]
Attention: You never use c'est.
Note that you always need the word heure(s) after the hour number, except for midnight and noon:
Half past [hour] = [heure] et demie
To express half past, you use:
[number of hours] + heure(s) + et demie
Attention:
midi/minuit + et demi
Note that you don't use trente.
Quarter past / quarter to [hour] = [heure] et quart / moins le quart
To express quarter past, you use:
[number of hours] + heure(s) + et quart
Note that you don't use quinze.
To express quarter to, you use:
[number of hours] + heure(s) + moins le quart
Note that you don't use quarante-cinq.
[Minutes] past [hour] = [heure] [minutes]
To express [minutes] *past* [hour], you use:
[number of hours] + heure(s) + [number of minutes] (cinq, dix,...)
[Minutes] to [hour] = [heure] moins [minutes]
To express [minutes] *to* [hour], you use:
[number of hours] + heure(s) moins + [number of minutes] (cinq, dix,...)
You literally say "one hour minus five, five hours minus ten...".
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 - 24-hour clock rules = AM vs PM
Want to make sure your French sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Braimap today »
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
