heure militaire
heure militaire is the French phrase for military time.
While heure militaire translates to military time, it is more common to refer to the 24-hour clock as le format 24 heures. In most French-speaking countries, the 24-hour clock is the standard way to express time in daily life, rather than a specialized 'military' system.
Did you know?
- The French word heure shares its ancient roots with the Proto-Indo-European word for 'year' or 'season', showing that the concept of an hour was once tied to larger cycles of time.
- In France, you might see time written as 14h30 on official documents and digital displays, using the 'h' as a separator instead of a colon.
- In France, it is common to see the 24-hour clock used in formal invitations, but the 12-hour clock is still preferred in very casual, spoken conversation between friends.
Examples in context
- Il est vingt heures trente .It is twenty-thirty (8:30 p.m.).
- Il est quinze heures trente-cinq .It is fifteen hours thirty-five (3:35 p.m.).
- Il est 14h30.It is 2:30 PM.
Example conversation
Manon and Hugo are looking at a train schedule.
- ManonLe train part à dix-sept heures.The train leaves at seventeen hundred hours.
- HugoC'est quoi, l'heure militaire ?What is military time?
- ManonC'est juste cinq heures de l'après-midi, Hugo.It's just five in the afternoon, Hugo.
- HugoAh, je comprends mieux maintenant.Ah, I understand better now.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries heure, militaire, CC BY-SA 4.0.
