l'heure du dîner
Dinner time in French is l'heure du dîner.
It is the time of the evening meal. C'est l'heure du dîner. announces that dinner is ready.
What does it mean word for word?
l'heure is the hour or time, du is of the and dîner is dinner.
Which one should you use?
Swap the meal to talk about other times, for example le petit-déjeuner, breakfast, for breakfast time.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, Belgium and Switzerland dîner is the midday meal, so the evening meal there has another name.
Did you know?
- The word dîner actually shares a root with the word 'fast'. It comes from the Latin ieiūnus, meaning 'empty' or 'hungry', describing the act of breaking a fast.
- In France, l'heure du dîner is typically much later than 'dinner time' in English-speaking countries, often occurring between 7 pm and 9 pm.
Examples in context
- C'est l'heure du dîner.It's dinner time.C'est means it is, so the sentence announces that it is dinner time.Tatoeba #135504 by zmoo, translation #2249074 by CK
- Est-il déjà l'heure du dîner ?Is it dinner time already?
- Nous attendons l'heure du dîner avec impatience.We are looking forward to dinner time.
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are sitting in the living room in the evening.
- LéaGabriel, est-ce l'heure du dîner ?Gabriel, is it dinner time?
- GabrielOui, Léa, le repas est prêt.Yes, Léa, the meal is ready.
- LéaSuper, j'ai très faim.Great, I am very hungry.
- GabrielViens à table alors.Come to the table then.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries du, dîner, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
