Telling Time - Essential French Grammar

Essential French Grammar (2012)

Telling Time

In French the verb être (to be) is used idiomatically in expressions of time. Study the following examples:

Quelle heure est-il?

Il est trois heures (précises).

[What hour is it?]

[It is three o‘clock (exact).]

What time is it?

It is exactly three o’clock.

Il est deux heures cinq.

Il est cinq heures moins dix.

[It is two hours five.]

[It is five hours less ten.]

It is five (minutes) past two.

It is ten (minutes) to five.

Il est quatre heures et demie.

Il est six heures et quart.

[It is four hours and a half.]

[It is six hours and a quarter.]

It is half past four.

It is quarter past six.

Il est six heures moins le quart.

Il est midi.

[It is six hours less the quarter.]

It is noon.

It is a quarter to six.

Il est minuit.

It is midnight.