Telling time

Johanna S.B1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Telling time

I hear sept heures moins quart, not sept heures moins le quart. Which is it?

Asked 1 year ago
CécileKwiziq team memberCorrect answer

I take your point Johanna, but this is pronounced 'moins l'quart' ( with the -e of le elided) as most French people would pronounce it. 

But if enough people feel it shouldn't be, I will flag it up for a re-record.

Maarten K.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Johanna, the ‘le’ is there in “moins le quart”. Compared to the the rest of the dictation, it may be a little less fully pronounced though. 

The phrase is so standard to a native French speaker that it rolls off the tongue quickly, the ‘e’ of ‘le’ is lost (swallowed), and little more than a hint of the ‘l’ remains to be heard, but it is there.

Maybe, for A1 level, it could be spoken a little more clearly in keeping with the rest of the dictation, but it is natural as currently recorded. 

Telling time

I hear sept heures moins quart, not sept heures moins le quart. Which is it?

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