demi-douzaine
/də.mi.du.zɛn/feminine
demi-douzaine is the French way to say half a dozen.
The term is used to express the number six.
Meaning: six (num)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun demi-douzaine is feminine, so you use the indefinite article une with it. When you use this phrase to count objects, you must follow it with the preposition de (or d’ before a vowel) and the noun being counted.
How do you pronounce it?
/də.mi.du.zɛn/ (4 syllables)
Did you know?
- In traditional French markets, asking for une demi-douzaine of eggs is still common, reflecting a historical standard where eggs were sold in groups of twelve or six rather than ten.
- The word douzaine belongs to a family of collective nouns ending in -zaine that group numbers into tens, such as dizaine for ten and vingtaine for twenty.
- In some regions, using une demi-douzaine can be a subtle linguistic marker of a more formal or old-fashioned style of speaking compared to the simple number six.
Examples in context
- Une demi-douzaine de combinaisons rouges pendaient là au mur.Half a dozen pairs of red overalls were hanging there on the wall.This sentence shows how to describe a quantity of items hanging on a wall using demi-douzaine.Tatoeba #901680 by sacredceltic, translation #11301853 by sundown
- J'ai acheté une demi-douzaine d’œufs.I bought half a dozen eggs.This sentence demonstrates using demi-douzaine to specify a quantity of eggs.Tatoeba #489016 by adjusting, translation #262181 by adjusting
- Quand on les observe à une demi-douzaine d'années, ou plus, de distance, même les plus belles modes nous paraissent grotesques, voire disgracieuses.When seen in the perspective of half-a-dozen years or more, the best of our fashions strike us as grotesque, if not unsightly.This sentence shows the use of demi-douzaine when referring to a period of years.Tatoeba #425817 by Scott, translation #425813 by Scott
Example conversation
Chloé and Gabriel are at a bakery.
- ChloéCombien de croissants voulez-vous, Gabriel ?How many croissants do you want, Gabriel?
- GabrielJe vais prendre une demi-douzaine, merci.I will take half a dozen, thank you.
- ChloéC'est noté, une demi-douzaine de croissants.Noted, half a dozen croissants.
- GabrielParfait, et ça fera combien ?Perfect, and how much will that be?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “half a dozen” translations and entries demi-douzaine, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
