Clock
Vers, pile and presque: approximate times in French
Il est presque cinq heures, il est cinq heures passées, on se voit vers 20 h: read eight clocks and choose the natural approximate time.
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In short
French has neat words for fuzzy times: vers or aux alentours de (around), presque (almost), passé(es) (just after: cinq heures passées), pile (exactly), environ (about) and en avance / en retard (early / late).
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
What time is it? Pick the French that matches.
Two minutes before: presque cinq heures.
Just after five: cinq heures passées.
Exactly six: pile.
Almost eight. Huit heures et quelques would be a few minutes after.
Et quelques = and a few minutes. Casual and common.
One minute before half past: presque neuf heures et demie.
Ten past one: une heure passée, singular agreement.
On the dot: dix heures pile.
How do you give an approximate time in French?
For appointments, vers 20 h sets a relaxed time; à 20 h pile means don't be late. At a dinner invitation in France, arriving about ten to fifteen minutes after the given time is polite (le quart d'heure de politesse), but never early.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| vers / aux alentours de | around |
| presque | almost |
| … passé(es) | just after |
| pile / précises | exactly |
| et quelques | and a few minutes |
- Il est cinq heures passé.Il est cinq heures passées.
Passées agrees with heures.
- On se voit autour 20 h.On se voit vers 20 h.
Vers, or autour de 20 h.