How to Say ‘It is three thirty in the afternoon’ in French
Il est trois heures et demie de l'après-midi
eel ay twah uhrs ay deh-mee duh l ah-preh-mee-dee
[eel ay twah uhrs ay deh-mee duh l ah-preh-mee-dee]
💬 Usage Tip: 'Et demie' means 'and a half', crucial for expressing half-past the hour.
🇫🇷 In France: In French culture, 3:30 PM might involve goûter, a small afternoon snack, especially for children.
Phrase Breakdown
Il
[eel]
It
Pronoun used for previously mentioned ideas or things.
Il est tard pour sortir.
It is late to go out.
est
[ay]
is
Used as a linking verb indicating existence.
Est-ce vrai ?
Is it true?
trois heures
twah uhrs
three o'clock
Used to indicate the time of three hours past midnight or noon.
Trois heures pile.
Exactly three o'clock.
Words in this phrase
trois
[twah]
three
The number following two; 3.
Je vois trois oiseaux.
I see three birds.
heures
[uhrs]
hours
Plural form of hour, segments of time.
Il est trois heures.
It is three o'clock.
et demie
ay deh-mee
and a half
Indicates thirty minutes past the hour.
Il est neuf heures et demie.
It is half past nine.
Words in this phrase
et
[ay]
and
A conjunction used to connect words or phrases.
Pierre et Marie sont amis.
Pierre and Marie are friends.
demie
[deh-mee]
half
One of two equal parts.
Ils ont partagé une pomme et demie.
They shared one and a half apples.
de l'après-midi
duh l ah-preh-mee-dee
in the afternoon
Specifies the time of day in the afternoon.
Quatre heures de l'après-midi.
Four in the afternoon.
Words in this phrase
de
[duh]
of
Used to indicate possession, origin, or composition.
Un verre de vin.
A glass of wine.
l'
[l]
the (elided)
A contraction of 'le' or 'la' before a vowel sound.
L'arbre est grand.
The tree is tall.
après-midi
[ah-preh-mee-dee]
afternoon
The period of the day between noon and evening.
On joue au parc l'après-midi.
We play at the park in the afternoon.
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