onze heures et demie
In French, eleven thirty is said as onze heures et demie.
This phrase is used to state that the time is half past eleven.
Which one should you use?
While onze heures et demie is common in speech, onze heures trente is used for more precise or formal contexts, such as reading digital clocks or schedules. In very informal settings, you may also hear onze trente.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word demie is feminine to agree with the feminine noun heure.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the masculine demi. Because it must agree with the feminine noun heure, you must use the feminine demie.
Did you know?
- In France, if you are booking a train or a movie, you will almost never see onze heures et demie. Instead, you will see 11h30 because the 24-hour clock is the official standard for all schedules.
- The word demie is an unexpected relative of the English prefix 'demi-', as seen in 'demi-glace' or 'demi-god'.
Examples in context
- « Savez-vous quand ils vont arriver ? » « À onze heures et demie ce soir. »"Do you know when they will arrive?" "At eleven-thirty this evening."This sentence is useful for practicing the use of onze heures et demie when answering a question about arrival time.Tatoeba #469315 by stomate, translation #468046 by blay_paul
- J'ai rendez-vous à onze heures trente.I have an appointment at eleven thirty.
- Je te rejoins à onze heures et demie.I'll meet you at eleven thirty.
- Le spectacle commence à onze heures trente pile.The show starts at exactly eleven thirty.
- Le train part à onze heures et demie.The train leaves at eleven thirty.
- Je dois être là à onze heures et demie.I have to be there at eleven thirty.
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo are deciding when to meet for lunch.
- ChloéOn se retrouve à onze heures et demie ?Shall we meet at eleven thirty?
- HugoC'est parfait pour moi, Chloé.That's perfect for me, Chloé.
- ChloéD'accord, à tout à l'heure alors.Okay, see you soon then.
- HugoÀ tout à l'heure, Hugo.See you soon, Hugo.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries et, onze, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
