français · A1 · vocabulary · 4 minutes
Clock time
Tell the time and say when an event begins.
Understand the choice
French clock phrases retain heure and agree demie with the feminine noun when it follows: neuf heures et demie. Midi and minuit replace a numbered hour and remain masculine.
Core rule: Tell the current time with il est; introduce an event time with à, and keep heure singular only after une.
Notice it in context
La réunion est à neuf heures et demie.
The meeting is at half past nine.
À introduces the meeting time; demie takes -e because it follows feminine heures.
Il est deux heures et quart.
It is quarter past two.
Il est tells the current time; quart remains masculine.
Le train part à une heure moins le quart.
The train leaves at quarter to one.
À une heure is singular; moins le quart counts back from one.
What to remember
- Write midi et demi and minuit et demi without feminine -e because both nouns are masculine.
- French commonly uses the 24-hour clock in schedules: dix-huit heures trente.
Common trap: Do not translate “half past” as demi après. Use heure(s) et demie in ordinary clock time.