première partie de soirée
feminine
Prime time in French is première partie de soirée, and you may also see heure de plus grande écoute. If unsure, use première partie de soirée.
Meaning: block of television programming (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | Note |
|---|---|
| première partie de soirée | feminine |
| heure de plus grande écoute | feminine |
What does it mean word for word?
première partie de soirée literally means first part of the evening, and heure de plus grande écoute means hour of greatest listening.
Which one should you use?
heure de plus grande écoute is the technical term used in the media industry and official broadcasting reports. In modern media and casual speech, the English loanword is also frequent: le prime time.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both phrases are feminine.
Did you know?
- The word écoute in heure de plus grande écoute comes from the Old Norse word skaut, which originally referred to a corner of a garment.
- While écoute refers to the audience in the phrase heure de plus grande écoute, it is derived from the verb écouter, meaning 'to listen'.
- Despite the formal phrases, the English loanword le prime time is so common in France that it is often used by news anchors during live broadcasts.
Examples in context
- L'émission humoristique est diffusée pendant l'heure de grande écoute.The comedy show is broadcast during prime time.
- Les publicités coûtent plus cher pendant la plage horaire la plus regardée.Advertisements cost more during the most watched time slot.
- Les publicités sont plus chères en première partie de soirée.Advertisements are more expensive during prime time.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are discussing the TV schedule.
- GabrielQu'est-ce qu'il y a en première partie de soirée ?What is on during prime time?
- ManonIl y a un nouveau film sur Manon.There is a new movie about Manon.
- GabrielC'est parfait pour regarder ensemble.That is perfect to watch together.
- ManonOui, on s'installe à vingt heures.Yes, we'll settle in at 8 p.m.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “prime time” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, heure, partie, plus, soirée, écoute, CC BY-SA 4.0.
