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L’exposition sur la forêt commence à quinze heures.

L’exposition sur la forêt commence à quinze heures.
The exhibition about the forest starts at three p.m.
FromLesson 28inHardcore French

Breakdown of L’exposition sur la forêt commence à quinze heures.

à
at
commencer
to start
l'heure
the hour
l'exposition
the exhibition
sur
about
la forêt
the forest
quinze
fifteen

Questions & Answers about L’exposition sur la forêt commence à quinze heures.

Why is it L’exposition and not La exposition?
French uses elision: la becomes l’ before a word that starts with a vowel sound (or a mute h). Since exposition starts with a vowel sound, you get l’exposition. The noun is still feminine; if it were masculine and started with a vowel, you’d also use l’ (e.g., l’homme).
How do I know exposition is feminine?
The elided article l’ hides the gender, but the full form would be la exposition → l’exposition. Also, most nouns ending in -tion are feminine (e.g., la nation, la décision), so it’s une exposition.
What does sur mean here? Can I use de instead?
Here sur means “about/on the topic of.” With nouns like exposition, conférence, film, livre, French commonly uses sur to introduce the subject matter: une exposition sur la forêt. Using de would usually indicate content/possession or composition (e.g., une exposition de photos = an exhibition of photos), not the topic. Alternatives: à propos de, au sujet de, concernant (more formal/wordy).
Why la forêt and not une forêt or les forêts?
French often uses the definite article to talk about a thing in general. la forêt here means “the forest” as a general concept. les forêts would stress forests in the plural (varieties/types), and une forêt would suggest one specific forest (e.g., une exposition sur la forêt amazonienne).
What does the accent in forêt do, and how do I pronounce it?
The circumflex in ê often reflects a lost historical “s” (compare English “forest”). It signals an open “eh” sound [ɛ]. Pronounce forêt roughly “fo-REH”; the final t is silent.
How is the whole sentence pronounced? Any liaisons?

Approximate IPA: [lɛkspozisjɔ̃ syʁ la fɔʁɛ kɔmɑ̃s a kɛ̃z‿œʁ]. Notes:

  • ex- is [ɛks], and the single s in -sition is → [ɛkspozisjɔ̃].
  • sur → [syʁ] (the French u is the rounded [y]).
  • forêt → [fɔʁɛ] (final t silent).
  • commence → [kɔmɑ̃s].
  • quinze heures has a liaison: pronounce the z in quinze linking to heures → [kɛ̃z‿œʁ]. The h in heures is mute.
Why is it commence and not commencera or va commencer?

French often uses the present for scheduled future events (just like English “starts at”). All are possible:

  • commence à 15 h = starts at 3 p.m. (neutral, scheduled)
  • va commencer = is going to start (near future, slightly more informal/imminent)
  • commencera = will start (simple future, a bit more formal or detached)
Why à quinze heures? Can I use vers, dans, pour?
  • à quinze heures = at 3 p.m. (exact time)
  • vers quinze heures = around 3 p.m. (approximate)
  • dans quinze minutes = in fifteen minutes (duration until something happens), but you don’t say dans 15 heures for a clock time
  • pour 15 h = for 3 p.m. (planned/targeted time: prévu/fixé pour 15 h)
Why is heures plural? What about 1:00, noon, and midnight?
Numbers above 1 take the plural: deux heures, quinze heures. With 1 it’s singular: une heure. Special cases: à midi (noon), à minuit (midnight).
Is quinze heures the normal way to say 3 p.m.?
Yes, especially in timetables, announcements, and formal contexts, French prefers the 24‑hour clock: quinze heures / 15 h. In casual speech you’ll also hear the 12‑hour style: à trois heures, optionally clarified with de l’après‑midi.
How do I write the time correctly in French?
  • With words: à quinze heures.
  • With figures: à 15 h (a space before and after h). Minutes: 15 h 30. You may also see 15:30 in digital contexts, but typographically 15 h 30 is preferred.
Can I front the time: À quinze heures, …?
Yes. À quinze heures, l’exposition sur la forêt commence. Fronting time expressions is common; add a comma after the time.
What’s the difference between commencer and ouvrir for an exhibition?
  • L’exposition commence à 15 h emphasizes the event’s start time (e.g., opening ceremony or the moment it begins).
  • L’exposition ouvre (ses portes) à 15 h emphasizes when it opens to the public (daily opening hours or opening day).
Do I need an article? Can I say just Exposition sur la forêt?
In full sentences, French normally requires a determiner: L’exposition sur la forêt… Dropping the article is mostly for headlines, signs, or note-taking.
What’s the difference between a and à?
  • a (no accent) = “has” (3rd person singular of avoir): il a.
  • à (with accent) = “at/to” (preposition): à quinze heures. In this sentence, you must use à.
Any spelling quirks with commencer?
It’s a regular -er verb, but before a/o, you add a cedilla to keep the soft [s] sound: nous commençons, il commença. No change is needed in commence because c before e is already [s].
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“How does grammatical gender work in French?”
Every French noun is either masculine or feminine, and this affects the articles and adjectives used with it. "Le" is used with masculine nouns and "la" with feminine ones. Adjectives also change form to match — for example, "petit" (masc.) becomes "petite" (fem.).

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