How to Say "Ten O'clock" in French

dix heures

Ten o'clock in French is dix heures.

In French, the word heures is used to indicate both the number of hours and the time of day (o'clock).

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is composed of dix (ten) and heures (hours).

The expression Dix heures tapantes is a colloquial way to say 'exactly ten o'clock'.

The word heures must always be in the plural form when expressing ten o'clock.

The phrase dix heures tapantes uses the verb taper, which means 'to hit' or 'to strike', evoking the sound of a clock striking the hour.
While English speakers say 'ten o'clock', French speakers use the 24-hour clock for official schedules. To avoid confusion with 10:00 PM, they would say vingt-deux heures.
The word dix shares the same Proto-Indo-European root as the English word 'december' and 'decimal'.

Il est dix heures.
It's ten o'clock.
This sentence shows how to state the time using dix heures.
Tatoeba #8333654 by theachaean, translation #2706996 by CN
Il est juste dix heures.
It's ten o'clock sharp.
This sentence shows how to use dix heures to say it is ten o'clock sharp.
Tatoeba #9972 by sacredceltic, translation #73434 by CK
Il n'est que dix heures.
It's only ten o'clock.
This sentence shows how to use dix heures to say it is only ten o'clock.
Tatoeba #12303203 by Rovo, translation #9356947 by MarijnKp
On se voit à dix heures
See you at ten o'clock
Je serai là à dix heures tapantes
I'll be there at exactly ten o'clock
31 more sentences on Tatoeba

Nathan and Chloé are discussing a meeting time over the phone.

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