five thirty am

Question

why cant you say cinq heures trente, it doesnt say write as if 12 hour clock but only acceptes cinq heures et demie du matin?

Accepted Answer

Bonjour à tous !
Thanks to all your feedback, we've reworked and I hope clarified these lessons/questions to remove all ambiguity regarding AM vs PM, 12 vs 24 hour clock :) 
In your case Carol, indeed with hour numbers under 12, you need to use "et demie", not "trente", which has now been made more explicit in our lesson :)
I hope that's helpful!Merci encore et Bonne journée !

Answer

There ought to be a hint on which way to tell the time is expected. As it is, the a.m. is the clue that the colloquial 12-hour clock is expected. Therefore it is cinq heures et demie.