Significado
A common question used to ask for the current time.
Contexto cultural
The 24-hour clock is the standard for all official schedules. If you ask 'Quelle heure est-il ?' at a train station, the answer will likely be 'Dix-sept heures' rather than 'Cinq heures'. In Quebec, it's very common to hear 'C'est quelle heure ?' instead of 'Quelle heure est-il ?'. The use of 'c'est' is a hallmark of informal Canadian French. Swiss French speakers are known for their precision. When you ask the time, you might get a very exact answer, and they use 'huitante' for 80 in some regions, which might appear in time-telling. Similar to France, but be aware of the words 'septante' (70) and 'nonante' (90) when people tell you the time in minutes past the hour.
The Liaison
Always pronounce the 't' in 'est-il'. It's one of the most important liaisons in French.
Gender Matters
Never say 'Quel heure'. It must be 'Quelle' because 'heure' is feminine.
Significado
A common question used to ask for the current time.
The Liaison
Always pronounce the 't' in 'est-il'. It's one of the most important liaisons in French.
Gender Matters
Never say 'Quel heure'. It must be 'Quelle' because 'heure' is feminine.
Politeness First
Always start with 'Pardon' or 'Excusez-moi' before asking a stranger 'Quelle heure est-il ?'.
Ponte a prueba
Complete the formal question to ask for the time.
_______ heure est-il ?
'Heure' is a feminine singular noun, so we use 'Quelle'.
Which of these is the most common informal way to ask the time?
Select the best option:
While 'Quelle heure est-il ?' is correct, 'Il est quelle heure ?' is more common in daily spoken French.
Match the French phrase with its English meaning.
Match the following:
These are the standard translations for these common time and weather phrases.
Fill in the missing line in this dialogue.
Stranger: Pardon, monsieur. _______ ? You: Il est quinze heures.
The response 'Il est quinze heures' indicates the question was about the time.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejercicios_______ heure est-il ?
'Heure' is a feminine singular noun, so we use 'Quelle'.
Select the best option:
While 'Quelle heure est-il ?' is correct, 'Il est quelle heure ?' is more common in daily spoken French.
Empareja cada elemento de la izquierda con su par de la derecha:
These are the standard translations for these common time and weather phrases.
Stranger: Pardon, monsieur. _______ ? You: Il est quinze heures.
The response 'Il est quinze heures' indicates the question was about the time.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
10 preguntasNo, it's standard. However, with friends, 'Il est quelle heure ?' is more common.
Because 'il' is an impersonal subject, like 'it' in English. It doesn't refer to the noun 'heure'.
Yes! It's a very natural and polite way to ask a stranger.
Start with 'Il est...' followed by the time (e.g., 'Il est trois heures').
In casual speech, yes. In formal speech, use the 24-hour clock (15h instead of 3h).
'Heure' is for the clock. 'Temps' is for duration or weather.
Yes, it is universally understood in the entire Francophonie.
Yes, but you'd likely write 'Il est kel heur ?' or 'T'as l'heure ?' in very informal texting.
In French, when you invert the subject and verb to form a question, you must use a hyphen.
'Midi' means 12:00 PM (noon).
Frases relacionadas
À quelle heure ?
specialized formAt what time?
Il est l'heure.
builds onIt is time.
Remettre les pendules à l'heure
similarTo set the record straight.
Chercher midi à quatorze heures
similarTo make things more complicated than they are.
