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How to Say ‘9 pm’ in French

Vingt et une heures

van eh ewn uhr

[van eh ewn uhr]

💬 Usage Tip: The t of vingt is sounded here and the e of une links into heures, giving roughly (vant-ay-ewn-er).

Phrase Breakdown

Vingt et

van eh

Twenty-

The 't' of 'vingt' is pronounced before 'et': 'van-TAY'.

Example

Vingt et un euros.

Twenty-one euros.

Words in this phrase

Vingt

[van]

twenty

The number twenty; in time expressions it helps form 20:00.

Example

Vingt heures est une heure courante pour dîner en France.

Eight p.m. is a common time for dinner in France.

et

[eh]

and

Joins two thoughts or questions together.

Example

Et vous êtes venu aussi?

And did you come too?

une heures

ewn uhr

-one hours (9 p.m.)

The liaison makes it 'ew-NEUR'. 'Heures' is plural after 'vingt et une'.

Example

Le concert finit à vingt et une heures.

The concert ends at 9 p.m.

Words in this phrase

une

[ewn]

a / one

Feminine singular article used before table.

Example

Une table pour deux est prête.

A table for two is ready.

heures

[uhr]

o'clock / hours

Used after a number to tell the time in French.

Example

Dans « Pour 20 heures. », « heures » indique qu'on parle de l'heure.

In “Pour 20 heures.”, “heures” shows that we are talking about time.

Related guides

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.French Conversation for Beginners: 6 Everyday Dialogues You'll Actually UseSix basic French conversations for beginners, from greeting a neighbour and introducing yourself to booking a restaurant, with translations, native audio and the phrases that keep them going.

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