Telling time in French.

1. Quelle heure est-il?
What time is it ?

2. Telling time in French
• French people use the same clock we
do with 12 hours and 60 minutes.
• The French use military time
(PM times: x + 12 = military time)
English PM time
– 5: 00 PM  17 h 00  Dix-sept heures
• PM
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
• FRENCH 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

3. Cont…
• On digital/visual clocks they use AM and PM
BUT when speaking, if not using military time,
they would specify the time of day by saying
“1-12 heures…du matin” or “… du soir”
• To say what time it is you say “Il est…heures.”
• When writing out the time, shorthand, they
put the letter ‘h’ not a colon ‘:’
– AMERICA  7:00 AM  7:00 PM
– FRANCE  7 h 00
 19 h 00

4. Other words to know:
• 15  et quart 30  et demie
45  moins le quart
• Noon  midi
Midnight  minuit
• When telling time…any minutes after :
30 (if a multiple of 5) are stated a little
differently. Instead of saying the
number (ex. 55) you subtract from the
closest o’clock.
– 2 h 55  Il est trois heures moins cinq.

5. 3:42 PM
Il est
quinze heures quarante deux

6. 6:30 AM
Il est
six heures et demie.

7. 1:00 AM
Il est
une heure

8. 12:00 PM
(noon)
Il est midi.

9. 5:45* AM
Il est
six heures moins le quart

10. 12:00 AM
(midnight)
Il est minuit.

11. 7:55* PM
Il est
vingt heures moins cinq

12. MAGNIFIQUE!