six heures
feminine, plural
Six o'clock in French is six heures.
six heures refers to the start of the seventh hour. To avoid confusion between different times of the day, you can add clarifying phrases after the word. You can use du matin to specify six o'clock in the morning, de l'après-midi for six o'clock in the afternoon or du soir for six o'clock in the evening.
Meaning: the start of the seventh hour (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Because French often uses a 24-hour clock system, adding du soir or du matin helps clarify which specific six o'clock you are referring to.
Did you know?
- In a casual French conversation, using the 24-hour clock by saying dix-huit heures can sometimes sound overly formal or robotic, which is why six heures du soir is preferred in social settings.
- The pronunciation of six is a living relic of Old French. Its specific rules for when the final 'x' is silent, sounds like 's', or sounds like 'z' are remnants of an ancient linguistic system that still dictates how modern French speakers count.
- The 'x' in six acts like a chameleon, changing its sound based on the next word. If you say six alone, it sounds like 'sees', but when it precedes heures, it transforms into a 'z' sound to link with the following vowel.
Examples in context
- Il est déjà six heures.It's six o'clock already.This sentence shows how to state that it is already six heures.Tatoeba #762807 by sysko, translation #31687 by CK
- Je reviens à six heures.I'll be back by six o'clock.This sentence demonstrates using six heures to indicate a return time.Tatoeba #128018 by nimfeo, translation #262300 by CK
- Attends jusqu'à six heures.Wait until six o'clock.This sentence shows how to express waiting until six heures.Tatoeba #1313619 by sacredceltic, translation #10569618 by sundown
- Il est six heures du matinIt is six o'clock in the morning.
- Il est six heures du soirIt is six o'clock in the evening.
- 31 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are planning their evening.
- ChloéOn va au cinéma à quelle heure ?What time are we going to the cinema?
- LucasLe film commence à six heures.The movie starts at six o'clock.
- ChloéD'accord, Lucas, je serai là.Okay, Lucas, I will be there.
- LucasParfait, à tout à l'heure !Perfect, see you soon!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “six o'clock” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries six, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
