This is just a very short guide about the phrase "à quelle heure"

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À quelle heure...?

The phrase “à quelle heure” literally means, “at what time”, but we don’t always use the word “at” in English.

At what time is the reservation?
What time is the reservation?

At what time does the film start?
What time does the film start?

At what time is dinner?
What time is dinner?

In English, occasionally, you’ll hear people even put the word “at” at the end of the question:


What time is dinner at?

In French, however, you always say, “à quelle heure”, and never just “quelle heure”


À quelle heure est la reservation? – (At) what time is the reservation?
À quelle heure le film commence-t-il? – (At) what time does the film start?
À quelle heure est le dîner? – (At) what time is dinner?

Quelle heure est-il?

Playful illustration of a man in a suit and a woman in a beret standing near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, with a large clock overhead. The man is pointing to his wristwatch, illustrating the question 'Quelle heure est-il?' in a whimsical and colorful French cityscape. Pink, blue, and yellow tones bring a cheerful vibe, aligning with the theme of learning how to ask 'What time is it?' in French.

I just said that you never use “quelle heure” instead of “à quelle heure”, however, there is one time when you do. If you’re asking, “What time is it?”, meaning, “What is the time right now?”, you use this question:

Quelle heure est-il? – What time is it (right now)?

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