Telling time is a fundamental part of learning any new language, and in French, the word you'll use most often for 'hour' is heure. But what about when you want to talk about a specific time of day, a duration, or the right moment for something? French has a variety of expressions for these situations. As you navigate your daily life in a French-speaking environment, from catching a train to setting up a meeting, knowing the right word for the right time is essential. Let's dive into nine different ways to talk about the 'hour' in French!

1. The standard 'hour' or 'time' – une heure

Une heure is the fundamental French word for 'hour'. It is the essential building block for telling time and discussing duration.

Literally, une heure translates to 'an hour' or 'one hour'. It is a feminine noun, which is important for grammatical agreement. It is used specifically for the time 'one o'clock' and as the singular unit of time.

For any number of hours other than one, you must use the plural form: heures. For example, you would say deux heures (two hours/two o'clock) or cinq heures (five hours/five o'clock).

The most common way to state the time is by using the phrase Il est.... The structure is: Il est + [number] + heure(s). For instance, Il est une heure (It is one o'clock) or Il est dix heures (It is ten o'clock).

To ask what time it is, you say, Quelle heure est-il ?. To ask at what time an event occurs, you use À quelle heure... ?. The response to the second question will typically start with À..., such as À trois heures.

A key aspect of sounding natural is using liaisons (linking sounds). The 'h' in heure is silent. Therefore, the consonant at the end of the number before it often links to the vowel sound. For example, deux heures is pronounced like deux-z-heures, and neuf heures is pronounced like neuf-v-heures.

💡 * Quelle heure est-il ? – Il est quatre heures.

• Le cours commence à neuf heures du matin.
• J'ai dormi pendant huit heures la nuit dernière.
• Le film dure environ une heure et demie.
• Nous devons partir à deux heures précises.

Exactly on the hour – heure pile

Exactly on the hour – heure pile

When you want to say that it's a specific time 'on the dot' or 'sharp,' the French have a perfect expression: heure pile. The word pile in this context translates to 'exactly' or 'precisely' and is added directly after the hour.

Using this phrase is straightforward. You state the time as usual and simply append pile to the end. For example, Il est huit heures (It's eight o'clock) becomes Il est huit heures pile (It's exactly eight o'clock).

This expression is used to emphasize precision. It’s common when setting appointments, coordinating meeting times, or talking about schedules where being on time is critical. It adds a sense of exactness to the statement.

A key rule to remember is that heure pile only applies to the full hour. You cannot use it for any other time. For instance, you can say onze heures pile (11:00 sharp), but you cannot say onze heures et quart pile.

💡 * Le rendez-vous est à 15h pile, ne sois pas en retard. (The appointment is at 3 PM sharp, don't be late.)

• J'ai appelé mon ami à midi pile. (I called my friend at exactly noon.)
• Le film commence à 20h pile. (The movie starts at exactly 8 PM.)
• Regarde l'horloge, il est une heure pile ! (Look at the clock, it's exactly one o'clock!)

Expressing Duration: une heure de temps

In French, you might encounter the phrase une heure de temps. While une heure on its own means 'an hour' or 'one o'clock,' adding de temps specifically emphasizes the duration of that time.

The phrase literally translates to 'an hour of time.' It's used to clarify you're talking about a 60-minute block of time, not the time on the clock. It’s similar to saying 'a full hour' or 'an hour's worth of time' in English for emphasis.

Is de temps necessary? Often, no. Simply saying une heure is usually sufficient and more concise. The full phrase une heure de temps is very common in spoken, everyday French but can be considered a bit redundant (a pleonasm) in formal writing.

This structure can be used with other units of time to emphasize duration, like dix minutes de temps (ten minutes of time). However, it is most commonly heard with heure.

💡 * Le trajet prendra une heure de temps.

• J'ai attendu pendant une bonne heure de temps sous la pluie.
• Il nous reste seulement une heure de temps avant la fermeture.
• Donnez-moi quinze minutes de temps et je serai prêt.

1. The Rush Hour: L'heure de pointe

The direct French translation for "the rush hour" is l'heure de pointe. This phrase literally means "the hour of the peak" and refers to the busiest times of day for traffic and public transportation, typically when people are commuting to and from work.

Let's break down the expression: l'heure means "the hour," and de pointe translates to "of peak" or "at the peak." The word pointe itself means "point" or "tip," effectively describing the spike in traffic volume during these specific times.

This term is commonly used when discussing daily travel. You'll often see it paired with verbs like éviter (to avoid) or prepositions like pendant (during). It applies to both vehicle traffic on roads and crowds on public transport like the metro or bus.

💡 * J'essaie toujours d'éviter de conduire pendant l'heure de pointe.

• Le métro est bondé à l'heure de pointe du matin.
• Pourrais-tu poster cette lettre en dehors de l'heure de pointe ?
• La circulation est terrible entre 17h et 19h, c'est l'heure de pointe.

The Opening/Closing Hours – Les Heures d'Ouverture/de Fermeture

When navigating daily life in a French-speaking country, two essential phrases you'll need are les heures d'ouverture (the opening hours) and les heures de fermeture (the closing hours).

These terms refer to the specific times a business, museum, or service is open or closed to the public. Understanding them is crucial for planning your activities, whether it's shopping, dining, or visiting attractions.

You will often see the plural form les heures. However, the singular l'heure is also used. L'heure d'ouverture refers to the specific time of opening (e.g., 9 AM), while les heures d'ouverture refers to the entire block of time the place is open (e.g., 9 AM to 5 PM).

To ask for the hours, a simple and polite question is: Quelles sont les heures d'ouverture ? (What are the opening hours?). You can easily add the place for clarity, like ...de la pharmacie ? (of the pharmacy?).

Often, you won't even need to ask. Signs will typically state the hours using a format like Ouvert de 9h à 18h (Open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.) or list the days, such as Lundi - Vendredi : 9h00 - 17h00.

💡 * Quelles sont les heures d'ouverture de la boulangerie ? (What are the bakery's opening hours?)

• Le musée a des heures de fermeture différentes le dimanche. (The museum has different closing hours on Sundays.)
• Nous sommes arrivés juste avant l'heure de fermeture. (We arrived just before closing time.)
• Les heures d'ouverture sont affichées sur la porte. (The opening hours are posted on the door.)

A specific time of day – un moment de la journée

The phrase un moment de la journée literally translates to 'a moment of the day.' It's a general expression used to refer to a particular but often unspecified period within a day, such as the morning, afternoon, or evening.

This phrase is most useful when the exact time is either unknown or unimportant. For example, if you know an event happened in the afternoon but don't know the specific hour, you could say it happened à un moment de la journée. It conveys vagueness or flexibility.

To be more precise, you can replace or modify this phrase. Instead of saying un moment de la journée, you might use dans la matinée (sometime in the morning) or en fin d'après-midi (in the late afternoon). You can also use it to ask for preferences, as in le meilleur moment de la journée (the best time of day).

In short, think of un moment de la journée as the French equivalent of saying 'at some point during the day' or 'sometime today.' It's a versatile phrase for when you don't need to communicate a precise time on the clock.

💡 * Quel est ton moment de la journée préféré ? (What is your favorite time of day?)

• On devrait s'appeler à un moment de la journée pour finaliser les plans. (We should call each other at some point during the day to finalize the plans.)
• Je suis occupé, mais je trouverai un moment de la journée pour t'aider. (I'm busy, but I'll find a moment during the day to help you.)

1. The time has come – l'heure est venue

The French phrase l'heure est venue literally translates to “the hour has come.” It is a powerful and often formal or dramatic expression used to signify that a long-awaited or significant moment has arrived. It conveys a sense of finality or importance.

You'll encounter l'heure est venue in contexts that call for a certain gravity, such as speeches, literature, or when announcing a major decision. It’s less common in casual, everyday conversation, where one might simply say c'est le moment (it's time). Use it to emphasize that a crucial turning point has been reached.

The phrase is typically followed by de and an infinitive verb (e.g., l'heure est venue de partir - the time has come to leave) or by pour que and a subjunctive clause. Note that venue is the feminine past participle of the verb venir (to come), agreeing with the feminine noun l'heure.

💡 * Après des mois de préparation, l'heure est venue de lancer notre projet.

• L'heure est venue de dire la vérité à tout le monde.
• Le roi se leva et dit : « L'heure est venue de faire face à nos ennemis. »
• Je crois que l'heure est venue pour que tu prennes tes propres décisions.

In due time – en temps et en heure

The French expression en temps et en heure translates literally to 'in time and in hour,' but its idiomatic meaning is 'in due time,' 'at the appointed time,' or 'in a timely manner.' It emphasizes completion at the correct, scheduled moment.

This phrase is a step above simply being on time (à l'heure). It implies that a task was completed not only punctually but also according to the proper procedure and within a pre-established timeframe. It conveys reliability and adherence to a schedule.

You will frequently encounter en temps et en heure in professional, administrative, or formal settings. It’s used to provide assurance that a commitment, like submitting a document or finalizing a project, will be met correctly and on schedule.

💡 * Le rapport a été soumis en temps et en heure. (The report was submitted in due time.)

• Assurez-vous que le paiement soit effectué en temps et en heure pour éviter les frais. (Make sure the payment is made at the appointed time to avoid fees.)
• Ne t'inquiète pas, tout sera prêt en temps et en heure pour la réunion. (Don't worry, everything will be ready on schedule for the meeting.)

1. The Phrase for 'Any time of day': À toute heure

The primary French phrase for 'any time of day' or 'at all hours' is à toute heure. This expression is used to convey that an action can take place or a service is available continuously, without being restricted to a specific time.

Breaking down the phrase helps clarify its meaning. It consists of three parts: à (at), toute (every/all), and heure (hour). Literally, it translates to 'at every hour,' which perfectly captures the idea of round-the-clock availability.

You would use à toute heure to describe something that is constantly accessible or happening. It's common when talking about 24-hour services, automated machines, or even a person's constant state of being. For example, a café that never closes or an online store.

While à toute heure is very specific, it's related to other expressions like 24 heures sur 24 (24/7), which is often used in a more commercial context, and n'importe quand (anytime), which is a more general term for 'whenever'.

💡 * Ce café est ouvert à toute heure du jour et de la nuit. (This café is open at any time of the day and night.)

• Vous pouvez retirer de l'argent à ce distributeur à toute heure. (You can withdraw money from this ATM at all hours.)
• Elle est prête à m'aider à toute heure. (She is ready to help me at any time.)
• Le service de streaming est disponible à toute heure. (The streaming service is available at all hours.)

Are there other ways to say 'hour' in French?

So, are there other ways to say 'hour' in French beyond just l'heure?

This guide has covered the most essential ways to talk about 'hour' in French. But as with any language, French has a rich vocabulary for time, including slang, formal expressions, and context-specific terms you'll encounter in daily life.

The key is to pay attention to context. For example, an 'academic hour' might be referred to as a période or créneau, while 'rush hour' is l'heure de pointe. Always notice the words used alongside heure to grasp its full meaning.

As you immerse yourself in French media—whether it's checking train schedules, listening to the news, or watching a movie—you'll naturally pick up on these nuances. See how native speakers discuss appointments, schedules, and the passage of time.

If you're curious about more expressions related to time, a great resource is the WordReference entry for heure. You'll find dozens of phrases and idioms that can make your French sound more natural.

I hope this article has helped you understand the different ways to express 'hour' in French. To finish, here's a fitting proverb to keep in mind on your learning journey: Chaque chose en son temps. (Everything in its own time.)