Build Your French Vocabulary How to Tell Time in French

Build Your French Vocabulary How to Tell Time in French Suzy S. For our last French vocabulary lesson, tutor Carol Beth L. taught us numbers, counting, and basic math. Now, its time to put that knowledge to work with this lesson on telling time in French So, are you confident with your numbers in French yet? Telling time is a wonderful way to practice â€" and is very helpful in everyday life! Lets start with a few basic words and phrases: Heure hour Lheure the time Quelle heure est-il? What time is it? (Say: Kel Ur [like the city] ay-teel) Il est ______ heures. It is ___ oclock. Midi noon (12pm) Minuit [say: mee noo ee] midnight (12am) In the question “Quelle heure est-il,” for the purposes of pronunciation, it is helpful to be aware of the concept of the liaison in French. When one word begins with a vowel sound, but the preceding word ends with a silent consonant, that consonant is pronounced almost as if it were the first letter of the next word. This is why the “t” in “est” is pronounced the way it is â€" but the “s,” which is also normally silent, is not. Lets look at a few examples: Susie: Quelle heure est-il? What time is it? Alain: Il est 9 (neuf) heures. It is 9 oclock. Alain: Quelle heure est-il? What time is it? Susie: Il est midi. Allons manger! It is noon. Lets go eat! In France, it is important to realize that the people you are speaking to will measure time on the 24-hour clock, often referred to as military time in the United States. So for any hour in the afternoon or evening, you will need to add 12 to the number we usually use for the hour in the United States: 13:00 = 1pm 14:00 = 2pm 15:00 = 3pm 16:00 = 4pm 17:00 = 5pm 18:00 = 6pm 19:00 = 7pm 20:00 = 8pm 21:00 = 9pm 22:00 = 10pm 23:00 = 11pm Here are a few examples of how this would be used in context: Il est 13 (treize) heures. (It is 1:00 in the afternoon. Literally: It is 13 oclock.) Il est 18 (dix-huit) heures. (It is 6:00 in the evening. Literally: It is 18 oclock.) So what about the times in between? Here, a little more vocabulary will help us out: ______ heures et quart a quarter past ______ ______ heures et demie half past ______ ______ heures moins le quart a quarter to ______ Again, lets see this in context: 1) Il est minuit moins le quart. (Its a quarter to midnight. Or equivalently: Its 11:45pm.) 2) Il est 15 (quinze) heures et demie. (Its a quarter past three in the afternoon. Or equivalently: Its 3:15pm.) 3) Il est 7 (sept) heures et quart. (Its a quarter past seven in the morning. Or equivalently: Its 7:15am.) Note that in the French version, “in the morning” or “in the afternoon” (indicated in the English translation) is implied because they use the 24-hour clock. These three vocabulary terms “et quart,” “et demie,” and “moins le quart” often require more practice for American students than the style that comes next, but they are used relatively often. You may wish to focus on practicing telling time using this format until it feels natural to you before moving on. Try looking at a clock at random times throughout the day and telling the time according to the nearest quarter-hour. Or if you have a “will return at” sign with a moveable clock on it, have a friend show you random times of their choosing, and give them the time (again, to the nearest quarter-hour) in French. You or a friend can also draw clocks with desirable times on them. So what if you need to be more precise than telling time to the quarter-hour? In English, we might say “Its ten-oh-three,” or “Its eleven fifty-seven.” In French, you can do almost the same thing: Il est dix heures trois. (Its 10:03 am.) Il est onze heures cinquante-sept. (Its 11:57 am.) Il est dix-sept heures vingt-neuf. (Its 5:29 pm.) Il est midi quarante-deux. (Its 12:42 pm.) In these and similar cases, be sure to include the word “heures” in your sentence between the hour and the minutes. We do not include it in English, but it is important in French. Now, you have several ways to tell time in French. If you recently learned to count in French, it is also an excellent way to practice your numbers. Practice your French vocabulary consistently and telling time â€" and numbers â€" will become second nature. For more help learning to speak French, why not try studying with a private tutor? Whether youre preparing to travel abroad or just need help getting your grades up, your French tutor can give you the one-on-one attention you need to reach your goals. Search for a tutor now! Carol Beth L. teaches  French lessons in San Francisco, CA. She has her Masters in French language education from the Sorbonne University in Paris and has been teaching since 2009.  Learn more about Carol Beth here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by The Shopping Sherpa