Times and Dates (Junior Cert French): Revision Notes
Times and Dates
Exam Tip: In French, the days of the week and the months of the year do not start with capital letters, unlike in English. This is a common mistake for beginners, so be careful!
For example:
-
lundi (Monday) not Lundi
-
janvier (January) not Janvier
Remember: Only capitalise them if they begin a sentence.
Dates
Knowing how to tell the time and say the date in French is essential. Whether you're making plans, scheduling events, or just chatting about your day, this is knowledge you'll use all the time. Let's dive in and make sure you're confident with times and dates in French!
Days of the Week
| English | French | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | lundi | lun-dee |
| Tuesday | mardi | mar-dee |
| Wednesday | mercredi | mehr-cruh-dee |
| Thursday | jeudi | zhuh-dee |
| Friday | vendredi | von-druh-dee |
| Saturday | samedi | sam-dee |
| Sunday | dimanche | dee-mansh |
Months of the Year
| English | French | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| January | janvier | zhan-vyay |
| February | février | fay-vree-ay |
| March | mars | mars |
| April | avril | av-reel |
| May | mai | may |
| June | juin | jwan |
| July | juillet | jwee-ay |
| August | août | oot |
| September | septembre | sep-tom-bruh |
| October | octobre | ok-toh-bruh |
| November | novembre | noh-vom-bruh |
| December | décembre | day-som-bruh |
Dates in French
When saying dates in French, the structure is day before month, just like in British English.
Le 5 avril (the 5th of April) (pronounced: luh sank av-reel)
Key Points:
- Le is used before the number (e.g., le 5 avril).
- Premier is used for the first of the month (e.g., le premier janvier). Examples:
- 12th March: le 12 mars (luh dooz mars)
- 1st January: le premier janvier (luh pruh-myay zhan-vyay)
- 25th December: le 25 décembre (luh van-sank day-som-bruh)
How to Tell the Time
Telling time in French is easy once you know the basics. Here's how to do it:
The Basics
- Heure means "hour."
- Use il est to say "it is".
- For 1 o'clock, say Il est une heure (eel eh oon ur).
- For other times, use the number followed by "heures". Examples:
| English | French | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| It is 1:00 | Il est une heure | eel eh oon ur |
| It is 2:00 | Il est deux heures | eel eh duh zur |
| It is 3:00 | Il est trois heures | eel eh twah zur |
| It is 4:00 | Il est quatre heures | eel eh kat-ruh zur |
Adding Minutes
For times past the hour, say the hour first, then the minutes.
- Il est trois heures dix (3:10) – "It is 10 past 3."
- Il est cinq heures vingt-cinq (5:25) – "It is 25 past 5."
Half Past and Quarter Past
Et demie (half past)
Et quart (quarter past)
- Il est deux heures et demie (2:30) – "It is half past 2."
- Il est quatre heures et quart (4:15) – "It is quarter past 4."
Minutes to the Hour
For times to the hour, use moins ("minus"):
- Il est sept heures moins le quart (6:45) – "It is quarter to 7."
- Il est neuf heures moins dix (8:50) – "It is 10 to 9."
Learning Advice: Practice telling the time in French whenever you look at the time. The more you use it, the more natural it will feel!
The 24-Hour Clock
In France, the 24-hour clock is often used, especially for official times like transport schedules.
- 14:00 (2:00 PM) = Il est quatorze heures.
- 18:30 (6:30 PM) = Il est dix-huit heures trente.
Memory Hack: When converting, just add 12 to any PM time to switch to the 24-hour format. For example, 7 PM becomes 19:00.
Learning Advice: Mix French into your daily life. Start saying the date and time in French each morning. It's a great way to keep practising without even realising it!
The Year
Breaking Down the Year
When you say a year in French, it's just like saying a big number. Here's how you do it:
Years 1000-1999:
- Split the year into two parts.
- For example, 1997 is said as "mille neuf cent quatre-vingt-dix-sept."
- mille (1000)
- neuf cent (900)
- quatre-vingt-dix-sept (97)
Years 2000-2099:
- The 2000s are pretty simple because you start with deux mille (2000) and then just add the last two digits!
- For example, 2021 is "deux mille vingt et un."
- For 2010, you say "deux mille dix." Examples:
| Year | French | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | mille neuf cent quatre-vingt-dix-sept | meel nuhf sont kat-ruh-van-dee-set |
| 2010 | deux mille dix | duh meel dees |
| 2021 | deux mille vingt et un | duh meel van ay uhn |
Learning Tip Think of it like a puzzle. Break the year into parts, and put it together in French. Practice with important years, like your birth year or significant historical dates. The more you practice, the easier it will become!