Quelle heure est-il?
L’heure
In French, we ask the time in one of two ways :
- Quelle heure est-il ? Il est quelle heure? (informel ).
- Est-ce que vous avez l’heure (formel) / Est-ce que tu as l’heure ? (informel).
Your answer is
“Il est” + the hour + minutes – il est huit heures – Il est 8h00. (Notice that there is an s on heures).
Il est une heure – il est 1h00. Heures becomes heure (singular) in this case because there is only one hour.
Exemples – regardez!
Il est une heure.
Il est deux heures.
Il est trois heures.
Il est cinq heures.
Il est six heures et quart.
Il est sept heures et demie.
Il est huit heures cinq.
Il est neuf heures dix.
Il est dix heures vingt.
Il est onze heures quarante.
Il est midi/minuit.
Regardez la vidéo pour apprendre l’heure.
Pratiquons!
Official Time: Official or Military time is set according to the 24 hour clock. This is used to express official time, such as for movie times, meeting times, and train or bus schedules.
In order to express this time, at 12 to any hour past 12PM (noon).
-1 PM is “une heure,” unofficially, but “treize heures,” officially (13h).
-3:30 PM is “trois heures et demie (de l’après midi),” unofficially, but “quinze heures trente,” officially (15h30).
-9:40 AM is “dix heures moins vingt,” unofficially, and “neuf heures quarante,” officially (09h40).
When using the 24 hour clock, unofficial terms such as “et demie” or “moins le quart” are not used.
Cliquez pour retrouver encore des informations sur l’heure officielle et l’heure courante
Savez-vous transformer l’heure officielle ? Pratiquons!
Pratiquons!
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This time let’s practice listening. Click on the clock face and listen to the time in French. Now, slide it into the time you heard.
Pratique de la prononciation – les voyelles nasales
In French, a syllable or word ending in one or more vowels followed by -n or -m produces a sound called a nasal. The -n or -m is not pronounced, but its presence changes the sound of the vowel in front of it. The back of the tongue is raised towards the roof of the mouth, and the vowel sounds more “nasal,” as if your nose is stuffed up. There are three commonly used nasal sounds in French today (with the fourth sound less commonly distinguishable), each of these sounds is captured by several different spellings.
This video will help you hear, identify and practice these common French sounds.
Did you hear
An? Bonbon? Vin? Lundi?
Now, an example that will help you articulate these sounds, thanks to the famous Brigitte Bardot
