Winter time in France from 25 October: at 3 am it will be 2 am, and the time difference with Japan becomes 8 hours
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In France, in the night of Saturday 24 to Sunday 25 October, it will be 2 am again when it is 3 am: this is the switch to winter time. Phones update themselves, but watches and ovens are set by hand.
In this article
The essentials
In France, the switch to winter time takes place in the night of Saturday 24 to Sunday 25 October. On Sunday, at 3 am, it will be 2 am again. So you gain an hour of sleep. This is what France 3 and Journal du Geek report.
The time difference with Japan becomes 8 hours
During summer time, the difference between France and Japan was 7 hours. With winter time, it becomes 8 hours. For example, when it is 9 am in France, it is 5 pm in Japan. If you have an online call with family or a business contact in Japan, watch the time from Sunday 25th. This difference is calculated by JAPANITIES from Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) and French winter time (UTC+1).
What you have to set yourself
Connected smartphones, computers and tablets generally update automatically. Check that the time zone is set to “automatic”. On the other hand, you must turn back by one hour yourself watches, wall or kitchen clocks, ovens and old non-connected car clocks.
Why do we change the time?
According to France 3, the clock change was used between 1916 and 1944 to save coal and energy. In mainland France, it was reintroduced by a decree of 19 September 1975, after the oil shock of 1973–1974. Since 1998, the dates have been harmonised across the European Union: winter time starts on the last Sunday of October and summer time on the last Sunday of March. This year, October has five Sundays: the last falls on the 25th, an early date. According to Journal du Geek, the same configuration occurred in 2020.
Effects on the body
As sunrise and sunset times change, some people find their sleep rhythm disrupted. France 3 cites Inserm (2022): adaptation can take a few days for “morning people” and several months for “evening people”. To prepare, you can shift your bedtime and wake-up time by 10 to 15 minutes a day the week before. Young children, older people, teenagers, night workers and people with sleep disorders may find it harder.
Will this change disappear?
In March 2019, the European Parliament voted in favour of ending seasonal clock changes. But member states did not agree, and discussions were slowed by the health crisis, the war in Ukraine and other events. A debate took place in plenary on 23 October 2025, without a decision. For now, the two annual changes continue.
Learn the grammar
French grammar
Learn sentence patterns and usage from the article’s own sentences.
01The present indicative
est / sont + attribute (noun, adjective, prepositional phrase)
En France, dans la nuit du samedi 24 au dimanche 25 octobre, il sera de nouveau 2 h quand il sera 3 h : c’est le passage à l’heure d’hiver.Key pointsÊtre in the present is est for a singular subject and sont for a plural one. It describes nature, state or place (“is”, “is located”). If what follows (the attribute) is a noun, adjective or prepositional phrase, it is not a passive. If a past participle follows, it is a passive (est annoncé). Headlines and summaries often use the present to describe the current situation.
02The passé composé
present of avoir + past participle
En mars 2019, le Parlement européen a voté en faveur de la fin des changements d’heure saisonniers.Key pointsThe passé composé is the most common past tense, used for “did” and “has done” — actions completed in the past. It is formed with the auxiliary avoir (a / ont…) in the present + a past participle. Past participles of -er verbs end in -é (annoncer → annoncé); learn the irregular ones (faire → fait, prendre → pris, voir → vu). In the negative, ne … pas wraps the auxiliary (n’a pas annoncé). In the news it reports facts that have already happened, such as “announced” or “voted”.
03The passé composé of pronominal verbs
se + present of être + past participle
Mais les États membres ne se sont pas mis d’accord, et les discussions ont été freinées par la crise sanitaire, la guerre en Ukraine et d’autres événements.Key pointsThe passé composé of a pronominal verb (se + verb) always uses être as auxiliary (il s’est diffusé / elles se sont réunies). Se changes with the subject: me, te, se, nous, vous. The past participle usually agrees with the subject in gender and number.
04The imparfait
stem (nous form of the present) + -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient
Pendant l’heure d’été, le décalage entre la France et le Japon était de 7 heures.Key pointsThe imparfait describes states, background, habits and actions in progress in the past (il était, elle avait, ils pensaient). Take the nous form of the present, drop -ons, and add -ais / -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient. If the passé composé gives “the event itself”, the imparfait paints “the situation at the time”.
05The passive voice in the present
être (est / sont) + past participle (+ par / de)
Ce décalage est calculé par JAPANITIES à partir de l’heure standard du Japon (UTC+9) et de l’heure d’hiver française (UTC+1).Key pointsThe passive means “is done” or “is being done”. It is formed with être + past participle, which agrees with the subject in gender and number (la mesure est adoptée / les mesures sont adoptées). The agent is introduced by par (or de). In the news it is common when the event, rather than the actor, is the focus (est prévu / est annoncé / est connu).
06The passive in the passé composé
a / ont été + past participle
Selon France 3, le changement d’heure a été utilisé entre 1916 et 1944 pour économiser le charbon et l’énergie.Key pointsThe past passive means “was done”. Its form is present of avoir + été (past participle of être) + past participle. Été does not change, but the last participle agrees with the subject in gender and number (la loi a été votée / les textes ont été votés). It is frequent in news reporting results such as votes, decisions and announcements.
07The imperative
present vous form (-ez) / nous (-ons) / tu
Vérifiez que le fuseau horaire est réglé sur « automatique ».Key pointsThe imperative expresses commands, requests and advice. It has no subject: the sentence starts with the verb (Consultez les informations.). The vous form ends in -ez, nous in -ons (Restons prudents.), and tu in -e for -er verbs (Consulte). It is very common in notices and warnings (Vérifiez, Consultez, Restez informé).
08Negation and its scope
ne / n’ … pas · ne … plus
Mais les États membres ne se sont pas mis d’accord, et les discussions ont été freinées par la crise sanitaire, la guerre en Ukraine et d’autres événements.Key pointsNormally ne and pas wrap the verb. Before a vowel, ne becomes n’. Check which part of the sentence the negation covers. Ne … plus means “no longer”.
09Citing a source with selon
selon + noun / organisation
Selon France 3, le changement d’heure a été utilisé entre 1916 et 1944 pour économiser le charbon et l’énergie.Key pointsSelon means “according to”. Put a person or organisation after it as the source. It separates facts the writer checked directly from what another body or report said. Citing a source does not turn a forecast into an accomplished fact.
10Pouvoir: ability and possibility
peut / peuvent / pourrait + infinitive
France 3 cite l’Inserm (2022) : l’adaptation peut prendre quelques jours pour les « du matin » et plusieurs mois pour les « du soir ».Key pointsPut a base-form verb after pouvoir. Peut means “can” or “may”; the conditional pourrait gives a more reserved possibility, “might”. It does not necessarily mean implementation is settled.
11Purpose with pour
pour + infinitive
Selon France 3, le changement d’heure a été utilisé entre 1916 et 1944 pour économiser le charbon et l’énergie.Key pointsThis is the purpose, “in order to…”. Put the base form of a verb after pour. The purpose stated here is separate from whether the effect was actually achieved.
Japanese grammar
Understand the structure and usage from the text.
01Citing a source: によると
noun + によると
フランス3によると、時刻を変える方法は、1916年から1944年にかけて、石炭とエネルギーを節約するために使われました。Key pointsAs in “LCPによると”, it shows where the information comes from. What that source reported follows. It is used differently from “私にとって”, which gives one’s own opinion.
02Cause or purpose with ため
〜ため / 〜ために
今年は、10月の日曜日が5回あるため、最後の日曜日が25日になり、変更が早く来ます。Key pointsため is used for both reason and purpose. “成立ではないため” is a reason and “運転手を守るため” a purpose. Decide from the whole sentence whether what precedes is a cause or a goal.
03Giving examples with など
noun / expression + など
スマホ、パソコン、タブレットなど、ネットにつながる機器は、ふつう自動で時刻が変わります。Key points“暴言など” gives “abusive language” as one example. It is not necessarily a closed list of only the things named. It also helps when reading the scope of a news story.
04The polite past ました
verb stem (連用形) + ました
フランス本土では、1973年から74年の石油ショックのあと、1975年9月19日の政令で、夏時間と冬時間が、再び決まりました。Key pointsIn “発表しました”, ました makes a verb polite past. The negative is “ませんでした”. Read the actual date together with the date and time in the text.
05Quoting with と: content and report
plain-form sentence + と + verbe de parole (報じる, 説明する…)
フランス3は、2022年のフランスの研究機関イネルムの話として、朝型の人は数日、夜型の人は数か月かかることがある、と伝えています。Key pointsと takes the content that is reported or explained. In “改定する方針だと報じました”, “改定する方針だ” is what the report said. Separating the content from who said it and how makes long sentences easier to read.
06Treating a clause like a noun with こと
plain-form sentence + こと + particle
フランス3は、2022年のフランスの研究機関イネルムの話として、朝型の人は数日、夜型の人は数か月かかることがある、と伝えています。Key points“〜すること” treats an action or content like a noun. The particle after it (が・を・は…) shows its role in the sentence. “ことができる” is a fixed combination meaning “can”.