heure
/œʁ/feminine
The French word for hour is heure.
heure is used to refer to a specific duration of sixty minutes and also to the time of day, such as when asking what time it is. To express time using the 24-hour clock, you state the hour followed by heures and the minutes. You can also use the word soir after the hour to specify that you are referring to the evening.
Meaning: time period of sixty minutes (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of heure is heures.
How do you pronounce it?
/œʁ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the word temps when you want to refer to a specific sixty-minute duration. Use heure instead.
Did you know?
- In historical contexts, heure was used to describe a specific prayer in the 'Hours' of the Virgin, a popular genre of prayer books in the Middle Ages.
- While 'heure' refers to a sixty-minute duration, it also shares a historical lineage with the word 'season', as the ancient Greek root ὥρα originally meant any fixed time or season.
- The phrase à l'heure does not just mean 'on time', but can also refer to a precision timepiece that is functioning accurately.
Examples in context
- Tu as une heure.You've got an hour.This sentence demonstrates the use of heure to indicate possession of an hour.Tatoeba #5494801 by Aiji, translation #2548436 by CK
- Ils ont une heure.They have one hour.This sentence shows the use of heure with a plural subject.Tatoeba #7481582 by theachaean, translation #7481193 by raggione
- Il dure une heure.It lasts one hour.This sentence illustrates using heure to describe a duration of time.Tatoeba #8672966 by Julien_PDC, translation #10855004 by Taikian
- Je vous retrouve à sept heures du soir.I will meet you at seven o'clock in the evening.
- On se retrouve vers sept heures du soir?Shall we meet around seven in the evening?
- Il est dix-neuf heures trente.It is nineteen-thirty, or 7:30 PM.
- Il est onze heures et quart.It is eleven fifteen.
- Rendez-vous à neuf heures du matin.Meet me at nine in the morning.
- 453 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are talking about their schedule at a cafe.
- LucasTu as une heure devant toi ?Do you have an hour in front of you?
- LéaOui, je n'ai rien de prévu.Yes, I have nothing planned.
- LucasParfait, on peut discuter un peu.Perfect, we can chat a little.
- LéaD'accord, je suis prête.Okay, I am ready.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hour” translations and entries heure, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries heure, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
