French · Time, Numbers & Colors
"Hour" in French: heure
l'heure
Hour in French is l'heure, feminine, said LUR. Quelle heure est-il ? means what time is it? À quelle heure ? asks at what time? The h is silent, so you write l'heure.
On the street
Excuse-moi, tu as l'heure ?Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce heure
Say it
LUR
/œʁ/
LUR. Eu as in fleur. Soft French r. Silent h. Do not pronounce an English "h" or "hour".
"Hour" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| l'heure | the hour / the time Clock time and duration unit. | Clock time and duration unit. |
| quelle heure est-il ? | what time is it? Asking the time. | Asking the time. |
| à quelle heure | at what time Scheduling. | Scheduling. |
| une heure / deux heures | one hour / two hours Duration; note heures plural. | Duration; note heures plural. |
How to use heure in real life
- 1On the street
Excuse-moi, tu as l'heure ?
Excuse me, have you got the time?
Avoir l'heure is a casual ask.
- 2Making plans
À quelle heure tu arrives demain ?
What time do you arrive tomorrow?
À quelle heure for schedules.
- 3Duration
Le trajet dure une heure pile.
The trip takes exactly one hour.
Une heure for duration.
Mistakes English speakers make with heure
Incorrect: Le heure est tard.
Correct: Il est tard. / L'heure tourne.
Use elision l'heure, and for clock time prefer il est… hours.
Incorrect: Il est cinq hours.
Correct: Il est cinq heures.
Use heures, not English hours.
Good to know
French uses 24-hour time in writing (14 h 30) more than casual US English. In speech, il est deux heures et demie is fine; train boards still show 14:30.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Catching a film
ChatPal
Le film commence à quelle heure ?
What time does the film start?
You
À vingt heures. On a une heure devant nous.
At eight p.m. We have an hour ahead of us.
ChatPal
Parfait. L'heure de manger un truc, alors.
Perfect. Time to eat something, then.
You
Oui, vite fait.
Yes, something quick.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Hour" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Hour" in French
How do I ask what time it is?
Quelle heure est-il ? or Tu as l'heure ?
How do I ask at what time?
À quelle heure… ?
Why l'heure not la heure?
Silent h takes elision: l'heure.
Is heure feminine?
Yes: une heure, l'heure.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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