Clock
Read 24-hour times on French boards and screens
Train departures, shop hours, TV listings: France writes 14 h 05 and says quatorze heures cinq. Read eight digital boards and pick how the time is said.
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In short
Official times use the 24-hour clock, written 14 h 05 and said quatorze heures cinq. Minutes are read as plain numbers (dix-sept heures trente, not et demie), and 00 h 15 is zéro heure quinze. You'll hear it in stations, on TV and in appointment confirmations.
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What time is it? Pick the French that matches.
- 14:05Départ TGV
Read hours and minutes as numbers: quatorze heures cinq.
- 17:30Fermeture
On announcements: dix-sept heures trente. In speech, dix-sept heures et demie is common too.
- 20:45Journal TV
With the 24-hour clock, keep plain minutes: vingt heures quarante-cinq.
- 00:15Dernier métro
On a ticket: zéro heure quinze. In speech, minuit et quart or minuit quinze.
- 12:00Ouverture
Douze heures on official times, midi in everyday speech.
- 21:10Séance cinéma
Vingt et une heures: feminine une because of heures.
- 06:58Arrivée TER
Announcements read numbers as written: six heures cinquante-huit.
- 23:00Fin du service
Vingt-trois heures officially; onze heures du soir in casual speech.
How do you read the 24-hour clock in French?
Written French uses h rather than a colon: 14 h 05, 9 h, de 10 h à 19 h. On a sign, 9 h – 12 h / 14 h – 19 h means a lunch break between 12 and 2. Du soir and du matin are only used with the 12-hour clock.
| Written | Said |
|---|---|
| 8 h 30 | huit heures trente |
| 13 h | treize heures |
| 21 h 15 | vingt et une heures quinze |
| 0 h 30 | zéro heure trente |
- le train part à 14:05le train part à 14 h 05
French typography uses h.
- à quatorze heures et cinqà quatorze heures cinq
No et before minutes.