How do you tell time in French?

Answer 1

French uses the word heure (hour) when referring to the time of day. So you do not ask about the time, you ask "what hour is it?" To ask what time it is: quelle heure est-il? To say "it's one o'clock": Il est une heure. To say "in the morning": du matin. To say "in the afternoon" de l'après-midi. To say "at night": de la nuit. However, usually instead of saying "in the morning" or "in the afternoon", French speakers will normally use 24-hour time. For example trente heures (13 h) means one pm. "Half past one" is une heure et demi (written 1 h 30). "Quarter past one" is une heure et quart or une heures et quinze (1 h 15). "Quarter to two" is deuze heures moins quart, or une heure quarante-cinq, or deuze heures moins quinze, all of which are written 1 h 45.

Une heure: one o'clock (written 1 h)

deux heures: two o'clock (2 h) trois heures: three o'clock (3 h) quatre heures: four o'clock (4 h) cinq heures: five o'clock (5 h)

six heures: six o'clock (6 h)

sept heures: seven o'clock (7 h)

huit heures: eight o'clock (8 h) neuf heures: nine o'clock (9 h) dix heures: ten o'clock (10 h)

onze heures: eleven o'clock (11 h) midi: midday, twelve pm

minuit: midnight, twelve am.