French Grammar Explained /
Time - How to read "l'heure"
So, is it true that French people always arrive late to a meeting?
Well... sort of.
The French would normally arrive on time to an official meeting (like at the office or at the dentist), with 10 to 15 min late to a dinner or a party (never arrive on time at a French party, the hosts usually expect people to be at least 10 min late), and sometimes up to 30 min to a meeting with friends (but that's also annoying to the person waiting)!
Wow, really?
Actually, that's a good transition to today's lesson on the time!
Quelle heure est-il ?
What time is it?
Il est...
It is...
Did you know that French people read the time using the 24h clock (0h → 24h)?
Ugh, yes. They like to make everything more complicated.
Ha ha ha.
12am | → | 0h / minuit (middle of the night) |
1am → 11am | → | 1h (du matin) → 11h (du matin) |
12pm | → | 12h / midi (middle of the day) |
1pm | → | 13h / 1h (de l'après-midi) |
2pm | → | 14h / 2h (de l'après-midi) |
3pm | → | 15h / 3h (de l'après-midi) |
4pm | → | 16h / 4h (de l'après-midi) |
5pm | → | 17h / 5h (de l'après-midi) |
6pm | → | 18h / 6h (de l'après-midi) |
7pm | → | 19h / 7h (du soir) |
8pm | → | 20h / 8h (du soir) |
9pm | → | 21h / 9h (du soir) |
10pm | → | 22h / 10h (du soir) |
11pm | → | 23h / 11h (du soir) |
12am | → | 24h / minuit (middle of the night) |
Unlike in the US or the UK, the French consider 0h (12am) and 24h (12am) to always be in the middle of the night!
Therefore, if you give a meeting to a friend at midnight on the 31st of January, it'll mean between the 31st and the 1st and NOT between the 30th and the 31st!
Okay that helps. But do I also have to say the things in brackets?
Sometimes, yes. If you don't want the person to get confuse on whether it's morning or afternoon:
Il est 8h.
Il est 8h du matin.
→ It is 8 am.
Il est 8h.
Il est 8h du soir.
Il est 20h.
→ It is 8pm.
It's getting confusing - technically "il est 8h" can mean both morning and evening?
Oui ! So be careful if the other person isn't in the same location/time zone. Or if you're setting a time to meet someone. Like in English a sentence like "let's meet at 8" doesn't help knowing if it's morning or afternoon.
Indeed. What about the minutes?
8:01 → 8:59 | → | 8h01 (huit heures une)
8h59 (huit heures cinquante-neuf) |
8:15 | → | 8h15 (huit heures quinze)
8h15 (huit heures et quart) |
8:30 | → | 8h30 (huit heures trente)
8h30 (huit heures et demie) |
8:45 | → | 8h45 (huit heures quarante-cinq)
8h45 (neuf heures moins le quart) |
Uh oh! What is all this?
That's how to read the minutes of course!
French is getting all complicated again :(
If you think about it, it's very similar to English.
Il est 8h15.
It is 8:15.
Il est 8h et quart (8h15).
It is quarter past 8. It is 15 past 8.
Il est 8h45.
It is 8:45.
Il est neuf heures moins le quart (8h45).
It is quarter to 9.
Alright, I guess you're right. English and French are just as complicated to read the time.
Attention ! "et quart", "et demie" and "moins le quart" are only used between 0h and 11h, never with 12h to 24h !
20h30
Il est vingt-heures trente.
Il est vingt-heures et demie.