How to Say "Every Other Day" in French

un jour sur deux

The English phrase 'every other day' is expressed in French as un jour sur deux.

Use un jour sur deux to describe an event that happens on every second day, leaving one day in between.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase un jour sur deux literally translates to 'one day out of two'.

You may also use the common synonym tous les deux jours, which means 'every two days'.

As an adverbial phrase, un jour sur deux is invariable. It does not change its form to match the subject or the tense of the verb used in a sentence.

The word sur in un jour sur deux is a homonym of another French word sur that means 'sour' or 'bitter'.
In French, the phrase un sur deux can be stripped of the word jour to describe a fifty percent success rate or a 'one in two' chance.
In French, the logic of un sur deux is similar to how a dealer might distribute cards in a game, alternating between players.

On se voit un jour sur deux.
We see each other every other day.
This sentence shows how to use un jour sur deux to describe a recurring meeting.
Tatoeba #11373593 by lbdx, translation #9231614 by CK
Je me rase un jour sur deux.
I shave every other day.
This sentence demonstrates using un jour sur deux to describe a personal grooming habit.
Tatoeba #12959142 by lbdx, translation #12907233 by araneo
Elle l'appela un jour sur deux.
She called him every other day.
This sentence illustrates using un jour sur deux to describe the frequency of a phone call.
Tatoeba #1351451 by sacredceltic, translation #887024 by CK
Les réunions auront lieu tous les deux jours .
The meetings will take place every other day.
5 more sentences on Tatoeba

Lucas and Léa are discussing their new exercise routine.

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