Le train arrive à dix heures moins le quart.

Le train means the train. French often uses the definite article when talking about a specific, known thing in context, such as a particular train on a schedule.

If you said Un train, it would mean a train, which sounds less specific.

Because the subject is le train, which is third person singular: it arrives.

In French, the verb arriver is conjugated like this in the present tense:

• j’arrive
• tu arrives
• il / elle / on arrive
• nous arrivons
• vous arrivez
• ils / elles arrivent

So with le train, you use arrive.

Here, à means at when giving a time.

So arrive à... means arrives at...

Examples:

• à huit heures = at eight o’clock
• à midi = at noon
• à dix heures moins le quart = at a quarter to ten

French uses heure / heures when telling the time.

• une heure = one o’clock
• deux heures = two o’clock
• dix heures = ten o’clock

It is plural because the number is greater than one.

Moins means minus or less, so French is literally saying:

ten hours minus a quarter

That is how French expresses a quarter to ten.

So:

• dix heures moins le quart = 9:45
• literally: ten o’clock minus a quarter

In this time expression, French normally uses the article:

• et quart = quarter past
• et demie / et demi = half past
• moins le quart = quarter to

So le quart is the standard fixed expression here.

Yes. Neuf heures quarante-cinq also means 9:45.

The difference is style:

• dix heures moins le quart = quarter to ten
• neuf heures quarante-cinq = nine forty-five

Both are correct. The first is often more natural when speaking casually about the time in a traditional way. The second is very common too, especially in schedules, announcements, and precise timekeeping.

Yes, it is understandable and correct in many contexts.

• dix heures moins le quart = quarter to ten
• dix heures moins quinze = ten minus fifteen minutes

Both mean 9:45, but moins le quart is the more idiomatic, traditional expression.

In this sentence, dix heures usually has a liaison, so it sounds roughly like:

dee-zur

More carefully:

• dix before a vowel sound becomes diz
• heures begins with a silent h, so liaison happens

So:

• dix heures ≈ dee-zur

Usually, no. In standard pronunciation, moins is generally pronounced something like mwan.

So:

• moins le quart ≈ mwan luh kar

French spelling and pronunciation often do not match in an obvious way, so this is a normal thing to notice.

French often uses the present tense for scheduled events, just like English does.

• The train arrives at 9:45.
• Le train arrive à dix heures moins le quart.

This is a normal way to talk about timetables, schedules, and fixed future events.

Yes. That would use the future tense: The train will arrive at 9:45.

But for schedules and timetables, French often prefers the present tense:

• Le train arrive... = very natural for a scheduled arrival
• Le train arrivera... = also correct, but more explicitly future

The word order is very straightforward:

Le train + arrive + à dix heures moins le quart

That is:

subject + verb + time expression

So it follows the same basic pattern as English: The train arrives at a quarter to ten.

Yes, it is natural and standard.

French speakers commonly use:

• et quart = quarter past
• et demie = half past
• moins le quart = quarter to

So à dix heures moins le quart is a normal way to say at a quarter to ten.

That said, many speakers also use the digital-style form neuf heures quarante-cinq, especially in practical situations.