l'heure
hour
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How to Tell Time in French
To ask the time in French, say Quelle heure est-il ? Half past two is Il est deux heures et demie..
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Useful French time phrases
| Word | English |
|---|---|
| Quelle heure est-il ? | What time is it? |
| Il est une heure. | It is one o'clock. |
| Il est deux heures et quart. | It is 2:15. |
| Il est deux heures et demie. | It is 2:30. |
| Il est trois heures moins le quart. | It is 2:45. |
How French clock phrases work
- Quelle heure est-il ? asks for the time.
- Il est une heure is one o'clock. Other exact hours use heures.
- et quart means quarter past, et demie means half past, and moins le quart means quarter to.
Common mistakes
- Using heure for every hour. Two o'clock is Il est deux heures.
- Dropping Il est and saying only deux heures.
Common questions
- How do you ask the time in French?
- Quelle heure est-il ?
- How do you say 2:30 in French?
- Il est deux heures et demie.
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Clock challenge
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Learn and listen
la minute
minute
la seconde
second
l'horloge
clock
la montre
watch
le temps
time
l'année
year
le matin
morning
l'après-midi
afternoon
le soir
evening
la nuit
night
midi
noon
minuit
midnight
tôt
early
tard
late
heure pile
o'clock
et demie
half past
et quart
quarter past
moins le quart
quarter to
Quelle heure est-il ?
What time is it?
Il est une heure.
It is one o'clock.
Il est deux heures.
It is two o'clock.
Il est cinq heures.
It is five o'clock.
Il est deux heures et quart.
It is 2:15.
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Audio credits
Verified native recordings are hosted by Wikimedia Commons (file-specific license); each recording retains its own file-specific source and license. This feature registers 33 supplied recordings. Other pronunciation uses the browser's language-specific voice.