Le train est à l'heure ce matin.

Breakdown of Le train est à l'heure ce matin.

être
to be
le train
the train
le matin
the morning
à l'heure
on time

Questions & Answers about Le train est à l'heure ce matin.

How does à l'heure translate to "on time"?
Literally, à l'heure means "at the hour". In French, this is the standard phrase for saying someone or something is exactly "on time". It uses the same word for "hour" or "time" that you see in the question à quelle heure (at what time).
Why do we use ce in ce matin?
Ce is a pointing word (called a demonstrative adjective) that means "this" or "that" for masculine words. Since matin (morning) is a masculine word, we use ce to say "this morning".
Can I translate "on time" word-for-word and say "sur le temps"?
No, that would sound very strange to a French speaker! The French word temps is used for time in a general sense, or for the weather. For clock time or being punctual, you must use the word heure, like in the expression à l'heure.
If I want to say "the trains" (plural) are on time, does à l'heure become plural too?
No, à l'heure stays exactly the same. You would say Les trains sont à l'heure. It is a fixed expression, so it doesn't change to match a plural subject.

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