Expression: Passer à l'heure d'hiver
Pronunciation: [pa say a leur dee vehr]
Meaning: to turn the clocks back, to return to standard time
Literal translation: to pass to winter time
Register: normal
Notes: In approximately half of the world,* clocks are manually changed twice a year:
In the fall / autumn, clocks are set back one hour, to return from daylight saving time back to "normal time," which has three possible French translations:
- l'heure d'hiver - literally, "winter time"
- l'heure légale - "legal time"
- l'heure normale - "normal time"
In the spring, clocks are set forward one hour: passer à l'heure d'été.
*In France, daylight saving time starts on the last Sunday in March at 2am, when one hour is added to the clock. It ends on the last Sunday in October at 3am, when one hour is subtracted from the clock. Source:Arrêté du 3 avril 2001 relatif à l'heure légale française
Some countries start and begin on different days, while others never change their clocks at all. For information about participating countries, please see Daylight saving time around the world.
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