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Mon réveil sonne à six heures.

Mon réveil sonne à six heures.
My alarm clock rings at six o'clock.
FromLesson 28inHardcore French

Questions & Answers about Mon réveil sonne à six heures.

What does réveil refer to here—an alarm clock device or the act of waking up?
In this sentence, réveil is a masculine noun meaning the alarm clock device. It can also refer to the moment of waking (as in au réveil), but with sonne it clearly means the device.
Can I say Mon alarme sonne à six heures instead of Mon réveil sonne à six heures?
Yes, especially for a phone alarm, Mon alarme sonne à six heures is heard. For a physical bedside clock, Mon réveil sonne... is the most idiomatic. Alarme is also common for security systems: L’alarme se déclenche/sonne.
Why is it sonne and not sonnes or sonnent?
Because the subject mon réveil is third-person singular. Regular -er verbs like sonner take -e in the third-person singular: il/elle sonne. For reference: tu sonnes (-es) and ils/elles sonnent (-ent, silent).
What tense/aspect does sonne express?
It’s the present tense and can translate as either simple present or present progressive in English: my alarm rings / is ringing.
Why do we use à before a time?
À is the preposition used for clock times (at): à six heures. For a span you can say de six heures à sept heures; for approximation use vers six heures.
Why is heures plural in six heures?
With numbers, French normally uses the plural of the noun, so six heures. It’s singular only with one: une heure. For 12:00 you use midi; for 12:00 a.m., minuit (no heures).
How do I specify a.m. or p.m.?
Add a period phrase or use 24‑hour time: à six heures du matin (6 a.m.), à six heures du soir (6 p.m.), or à dix-huit heures (18:00). You can also say à six heures de l’après-midi.
How do I say 6:15, 6:30, or 5:45?
Common forms: à six heures et quart (6:15), à six heures et demie (6:30), and à six heures moins le quart (5:45). Digital/official style also allows à six heures quinze, à six heures trente, à dix-sept heures quarante-cinq.
Any quick pronunciation tips for the sentence?
Roughly: mohn ray-VAY sun a seez uhr. Notes: six heures makes a liaison, so six sounds like siz; the h in heures is silent; final -e in sonne is mute; réveil ends with a y‑glide sound.
Is the accent on à important here?
Yes. À (with accent) means at; a (without accent) is the verb has. Compare: Mon réveil a sonné (my alarm has rung) vs Mon réveil sonne à six heures (rings at 6).
What gender is réveil, and how does that affect mon/ma/mes?
Réveil is masculine, so you use mon réveil. Feminine nouns take ma (e.g., ma montre), and plurals take mes (e.g., mes réveils).
What’s the difference between Mon réveil sonne à six heures and Je me réveille à six heures?
Mon réveil sonne... talks about the device going off. Je me réveille... means I wake up at that time. Your alarm can ring at six even if you actually wake up later.
How do I say at about, exactly at, before, or after six?
  • About: vers six heures
  • Exactly: à six heures pile or à six heures précises
  • Before/after: un peu avant six heures, un peu après six heures
Can I use dans instead of à with times?
No. À six heures = at 6 o’clock (clock time). Dans six heures = in six hours (from now). Other useful prepositions: jusqu’à six heures (until six), de six heures à huit heures (from six to eight).
How do I write the time numerically in French?
Common formats: à 6 h, à 6 h 00, à 18 h (24‑hour). A space before h is the typographic norm, though 6h is common informally. Colons (6:00) are seen but h is preferred.
How would I put this in the past or future?
  • Past (it rang): Mon réveil a sonné à six heures.
  • Near future: Mon réveil va sonner à six heures.
  • Simple future: Mon réveil sonnera à six heures.
Is réveil-matin different from réveil?
They both mean alarm clock. Réveil-matin is a more formal or old‑fashioned term; in everyday speech people usually just say réveil.
Is the liaison between six and heures obligatory?
It’s standard and expected: say six heures with a z link (siz). Skipping it can sound unnatural or overly careful.
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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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