A guide to saying it like a local
How to Say "It's half past four" in French
Say 'Il est quatre heures et demie' for 4:30 PM or AM in France.
Il est quatre heures et demie.
eel ay KAT-ruhr ay dee-MEEneutral
French TTS · 0:01
Use this phrase when telling someone the time, like when making plans or asking for the current hour. It's the standard way to express half past any given hour.
Alternatives
- Il est quatre trente.This is more common in very specific contexts like train schedules or official announcements, but less natural in conversation.
- Il est quatre heures trente.This is also understood but 'et demie' is the idiomatic way to say 'half past'.
Ways to get it wrong
Pronouncing the 't' in 'quatre'
The 't' in 'quatre' is silent, so it sounds like 'ka-ruh', not 'kat-ruh'.
Missing the 'et' in 'et demie'
You need the 'et' (and) to connect the hour to 'demie' (half).
A small cultural note
While 'et demie' is standard, some older or more rural speakers might say 'quatre heures et une demie', but this is rare now.
The same phrase in other languages
Frequently asked
How to say 4:30 in French?
The most common way is 'Il est quatre heures et demie'. This works for both AM and PM.
Is 'quatre trente' used for time?
'Quatre trente' is understood but less common in everyday speech than 'quatre heures et demie'. You'll see it more in official contexts.
Do I say 'demie' or 'une demie'?
Just 'demie' is the standard and most frequent usage. 'Une demie' is older and less common today.
