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.
*Daylight saving time dates vary: In 2009, the US and Canada started daylight saving time on 8 March and end it on 1 November, while France and the UK started on 29 March and end on 25 October. For more information about which countries participate and when, please see Daylight saving time around the world.
Post your comments about the French expression passer à l'heure d'hiver on my French blog - just hit "comments" at the bottom of the post.
