French Phrase
Il est une heure moins vingt-cinq.
Meaning
Literally, 'It is one o’clock minus twenty‑five', which means the time is 12:35. The construction 'moins' is used to indicate minutes before the next hour.
When to use
Use this expression when you need to tell the time after the half‑hour, especially in formal or neutral contexts such as news reports, announcements, or when you want to sound precise.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Ilestuneheuremoinsvingt-cinq
Impersonal 'Il est'
Used to tell time; the subject 'il' does not refer to a person but to the abstract concept of time.
Singular hour
When the hour is one, use the singular 'une heure' (not 'une heures').
'moins' for minutes to the hour
After the half‑hour, French subtracts minutes from the next hour using 'moins' (e.g., 'une heure moins vingt‑cinq').
Compound numbers
Numbers 21‑99 are written with a hyphen (e.g., 'vingt-cinq').
🗨In Conversation
Quelle heure est‑il ?
What time is it?
Il est une heure moins vingt‑cinq.
It’s twenty‑five to one.
✕Common Mistakes
Il est une heures moins vingt-cinq.
Hour is singular after 'une'; use 'une heure'.
Il est une heure et vingt-cinq.
Use 'moins' for minutes before the next hour, not 'et'.
Il est une heure moins vingt cinq.
Compound numbers must be hyphenated.
↔Alternatives
Il est douze heures trente‑cinq.
It is twelve thirty‑five.
Il est midi trente‑cinq.
It is 12:35.
Il est une heure moins le quart.
It is a quarter to one.
Cultural Tip
In French, times after the half‑hour are usually expressed with 'moins' (e.g., 'une heure moins vingt‑cinq'), whereas English uses 'to' (e.g., 'twenty‑five to one'). In informal speech, many French speakers simply say the exact minutes past the hour ('douze heures trente‑cinq') or use 'midi' for 12 o’clock. Canadian French follows the same pattern, but you may also hear 'Il est une heure moins vingt‑cinq' in Quebec news broadcasts.