To ask the time, say Quelle heure est-il ? To answer, start with Il est and add the hour with the word heure(s): Il est huit heures. One o'clock is singular: Il est une heure. Noon and midnight have their own words, midi and minuit, with no heure.

For minutes, add them after heures: Il est huit heures dix. A quarter past is et quart, half past is et demie, and a quarter to is moins le quart: Il est trois heures moins le quart. For minutes before the hour, use moins: neuf heures moins cinq. In writing, 8h30 is common, and in timetables French often uses the 24-hour clock (quatorze heures for 2 p.m.).

To say 'at' a time, use à: à huit heures, à midi. The question is À quelle heure ? ('At what time?'). Don't use en or dans here, and don't forget heures: say à huit heures, not à huit.