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There are three nouns in French, temps, heure, and fois,
which are translated as 'time' in English, but each has very specific uses and nuances.
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temps
Temps can mean either 'time' or 'weather' (in which case it is almost always accompanied by the verb faire).
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Tex téléphone à Paw-Paw. |
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Tex telephones Paw-Paw. |
Paw-Paw: Tex, tu es où? Tu es en retard! |
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Paw-Paw: Tex, where are you? You are late! |
Tex: Mais non, j'ai le temps! Je suis en train de faire ma valise. Quel temps fait-il à Opelousas? |
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Tex: But no, I have time! I'm packing my suitcase. What's the weather like in Opelousas? |
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Temps is usually singular but may be used in the plural, especially in the following phrases:
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Paw-Paw: Tex, tu es un petit-fils ingrat! Tu ne viens jamais me voir! Les temps changent ... |
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Paw-Paw: Tex, you're an ungrateful grand-son! You never come to visit me! Times change ... |
Tex: Allons Paw-Paw, tu sais bien que je viens aujourd'hui. 'Laissez les bons temps rouler', comme on dit en Louisiane! Dis, tu sais que personne ne connaît cette expression en France? |
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Tex: Oh, Paw-Paw, you know I'm coming today. 'Let the good times roll', as they say in Louisiana! Do you know that nobody knows this expression in France? |
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Here are the most commonly used phrases with temps:
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De temps en temps, Tex va voir Paw-Paw à Opelousas le week-end. |
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From time to time, Tex goes to see Paw-Paw in Opelousas on the week-end. |
Paw-Paw parle tout le temps de ses rhumatismes. Il prend son temps. |
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Paw-Paw talks about his rheumatism all the time. He takes his time. |
Paw-Paw parle souvent du bon vieux temps: De mon temps, les jeunes étaient polis ... |
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Paw-Paw often talks about the good old days: In my days, young people were polite ... |
La plupart du temps, Tex s'ennuie. Il a l'impression de perdre son temps. |
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Most of the time Tex gets bored. He feels like he is wasting his time.
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Pendant ce temps, Tammy, Edouard et Joe-Bob sont à Austin. |
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In the meantime, Tammy, Edouard and Joe-Bob are in Austin. |
Ils ont le temps de faire la fête. |
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They have time to party. |
Pauvre Tex! Il rentre à Austin le lundi matin, juste à temps pour faire cours. |
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Poor Tex! He comes back to Austin on Monday morning, just in time to teach. |
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heure
Heure is feminine and can be used in the singular or in the plural. It is used to refer to clock time.
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Tammy: Tex, tu as l'heure? |
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Tammy: Tex, you got the time? |
Tex: Oui, j'ai l'heure. |
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Tex: Yes, I've got the time. |
Tammy: Et bien?! Quelle heure est-il? |
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Tammy: Well?! What time is it? |
Tex: Il est 4 heures. |
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Tex: It is 4 o'clock. |
Tammy: Chouette! C'est l'heure d'Oprah, mon émission préférée! |
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Tammy: Great! It's time for Oprah, my favorite show! |
Tex: Et pour moi, c'est l'heure de faire la sieste! |
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Tex: And it's time for me to take a nap! |
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fois
Fois is feminine and its singular and plural forms are identical. It is used to refer to one or several instances of an event.
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Tammy: Tex, réveille-toi! Paw-Paw est au téléphone, il veut te parler. |
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Tammy: Tex, wake up! Paw-Paw is on the phone, he wants to talk to you. |
Tex: Comment? Il a appelé quatre fois aujourd'hui! |
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Tex: What? He has called four times today! |
Tammy: Cette fois, il est déprimé. Sois gentil, il a trois fois ton âge. |
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Tammy: This time, he is depressed. Be nice, he is three times your age. |
Tex: Bon, bon, j'y vais, mais c'est la dernière fois! |
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Tex: Ok, ok, I'm going, but it is the last time! |
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