French Phrase
Le départ, c'est à midi.
Meaning
The sentence tells the listener that the departure (of a train, plane, meeting, etc.) is scheduled for noon. It is a concise way to give a specific time for an event.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to inform someone about the exact time something leaves – for example, when talking about travel plans, a scheduled meeting, or a group activity.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Ledépart,c'estàmidi.
Le (definite article)
Used before masculine singular nouns to specify a particular item.
départ (noun)
A masculine noun meaning ‘departure’ or ‘the time something leaves.’
c'est (ce + est)
A contraction used to identify or define something; equivalent to ‘it is/that is.’
à (preposition of time)
Introduces a specific point in time; with clock times you say ‘à midi,’ not ‘au midi.’
midi (noun)
Means ‘noon’; used without an article when telling the time.
🗨In Conversation
À quelle heure est le départ ?
What time is the departure?
Le départ, c'est à midi.
The departure is at noon.
✕Common Mistakes
Le départ, c'est au midi.
Use à midi (no article) when indicating a specific time.
Le départ, c'est le départ à midi.
The correct order is c’est à midi, not c’est le départ à midi.
Le départ, c'est midi.
You need the preposition à before the time.
↔Alternatives
Le départ est à midi.
The departure is at noon.
Le train part à midi.
The train leaves at noon.
Nous partons à midi.
We leave at noon.
Cultural Tip
In French, ‘midi’ is used without an article when telling the time (e.g., à midi, pas au midi). The construction c’est + à + time is very common in spoken French and sounds natural, but in formal writing you’ll often see the simple verb être: Le départ est à midi.