minuit
/mi.nɥi/feminine
The English phrase "midnight" is minuit in French.
minuit refers to 12 o'clock at night exactly. In colloquial speech, you may use the phrase minuit pile to mean midnight sharp or on the dot.
Meaning: 12 o'clock at night exactly (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the idea of "at midnight," use the preposition à before the word, resulting in à minuit.
How do you pronounce it?
/mi.nɥi/
Did you know?
- The word minuit can be used as an adjective in specific artistic contexts to describe a very deep, dark shade of blue.
- In French culture, minuit is often associated with the 'heure du crime' or the hour of crime in classic detective literature.
- Unlike English speakers who might use a 12-hour clock, French speakers often use a 24-hour clock in formal writing, where minuit is represented as 00:00.
Examples in context
- Il est minuit passé.It's past midnight.This sentence is useful for describing a time that is past midnight.Tatoeba #3779563 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #2249155 by CK
- Tom arriva à minuit.Tom arrived at midnight.This sentence is useful for saying someone arrived at midnight.Tatoeba #7465575 by tras, translation #7464502 by CK
- Nous fermons à minuit.We close at midnight.This sentence is useful for stating a closing time of midnight.Tatoeba #8377796 by Aiji, translation #6979871 by Eccles17
- Rendez-vous chez moi à minuit pile!Meet me at my place at midnight sharp!
- Le train arrive à minuit.The train arrives at midnight.
- 80 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are talking on the phone late at night.
- GabrielIl est déjà minuit, Léa.It is already midnight, Léa.
- LéaOh, je ne t'ai pas dérangé ?Oh, did I disturb you?
- GabrielNon, mais je dois dormir.No, but I must sleep.
- LéaD'accord, bonne nuit, Gabriel.Okay, good night, Gabriel.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “midnight” translations and entries minuit, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
