Clock
Midi, minuit and other time traps in French
Il est midi et demi, not douze heures et demie? Une heure, not un heure? Read eight clocks that hide the classic French time traps.
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In short
Noon is midi and midnight is minuit, both masculine: midi et demi (traditionally without e, though demie is now accepted). Use une heure (feminine), add du matin, de l'après-midi, du soir to avoid confusion, and never put heures after midi or minuit.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
What time is it? Pick the French that matches.
Midi never takes heures. Midi et demi is the traditional spelling.
A clock face can't tell noon from midnight. Context decides: lunch or bed!
Une heure: feminine, singular.
Du matin, de l'après-midi, du soir.
Midi moins le quart. Never say douze with moins le quart.
At night, minuit et quart. No heures after minuit.
After heures (feminine), write et demie. You need heures for every hour except midi / minuit.
Pile (or précises) = exactly: huit heures pile.
Is it midi et demi or midi et demie?
Why demi after midi but demie after heure? Demi agrees with the noun before it: heure is feminine, midi masculine. The 1990 spelling reform also accepts midi et demie, but you'll mostly see midi et demi.
On se retrouve à midi et demi devant la cantine ?
Shall we meet at half twelve outside the canteen?
- Il est douze heures et demie (lunchtime, casual)Il est midi et demi.
In speech, midi sounds more natural.
- à minuit heuresà minuit
Never heures after minuit.