To state the time in French, always use the impersonal pronoun il (it). The basic formula is Il est + [number] + heure(s).
| It is three o'clock. | Il est trois heures. |
| No, it is not two o'clock. | Non, il n'est pas deux heures. |
Time of day
Because French often relies on a 12-hour clock in casual conversation, add phrases like du matin (in the morning) to clarify.
| It is nine o'clock in the morning. | Il est neuf heures du matin. |
Fractions of an hour and minutes
To state an exact time, say the number of minutes directly after the word heure(s). For common fractions, add et quart (a quarter past) or et demie (half past).
| It is a quarter past four. | Il est quatre heures et quart. |
| It is half past five. | Il est cinq heures et demie. |
Past the 30-minute mark, subtract minutes from the upcoming hour using moins (less / to). For "a quarter to", use moins le quart.
| It is five to seven. | Il est sept heures moins cinq. |
| It is a quarter to ten. | Il est dix heures moins le quart. |
Noon and midnight
Instead of "twelve o'clock", French uses midi (noon) and minuit (midnight). Since these don't use the feminine word heure, use the masculine form demi (without the "e") to say "half past".
| It is half past noon. | Il est midi et demi. |
| It is already midnight, it is late. | Il est déjà minuit, il est tard. |
Early and late
Use the adverbs tôt (early) and tard (late) to talk about time in relation to a schedule.
| He always arrives early. | Il arrive toujours tôt. |
| It is late, where is the hotel? | Il est tard, où est l'hôtel ? |
