A guide to saying it like a local
How to Say "A quarter" in French
Learn 'un quart d'heure' for 'a quarter of an hour' in French time expressions.
un quart d'heure
uhn KAR DEURneutral
French TTS · 0:01
Use this when talking about a duration of 15 minutes. For example, if a train is delayed by 15 minutes, you'd say 'Le train a 15 minutes de retard' or 'Le train a un quart d'heure de retard'.
Alternatives
- quinze minutesThis is more direct and common when the exact number is important.
- un quartThis is used for fractions of things, not typically for time durations.
Ways to get it wrong
Pronouncing the 't' in 'quart'
The 't' in 'quart' is silent, so it sounds like 'car'.
Forgetting 'd'heure'
Saying just 'un quart' for time sounds like you're talking about a quarter of something else, not 15 minutes.
Mispronouncing the 'r'
French 'r' is guttural, made in the back of the throat, not rolled like in Spanish.
A small cultural note
While 'un quart d'heure' is standard, in very casual speech, people might just say 'quinze minutes' for brevity.
The same phrase in other languages
Frequently asked
How to say 15 minutes in French?
The most common way is 'quinze minutes'. For a duration, 'un quart d'heure' is also perfectly understood.
When do French people use un quart d'heure?
It's used for a 15-minute block of time, often when talking about waiting or a short duration of an event.
Is 'un quart' ever used for time?
Rarely for time durations. 'Un quart' usually refers to a quarter of an object or a quantity, like 'un quart de litre' (a quarter liter).
