moitié
/mwa.tje/feminine
The English word 'half' is translated into French as moitié.
moitié is a noun used to describe one of two roughly equal parts into which anything may be divided. You can also use the adverbial phrase à moitié to mean 'halfway' or 'partially', such as in the expression à moitié fini (halfway finished).
Meaning: one of two roughly equal parts into which anything may be divided (noun)
Which one should you use?
Use moitié when you are referring to 'the half' as a noun, such as 'the half of the cake'. In contrast, demi is an adjective meaning 'consisting of a half' and is often used as a prefix with a hyphen to create compound words meaning 'half-something'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Because moitié is a feminine noun, it is used with the feminine definite article la to form la moitié (the half). The form demi is used as a prefix to create compound words.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /mwa.tje/.
Did you know?
- In a French cafe, ordering un demi refers specifically to a glass of beer of 25cl. Despite the word meaning 'half', it does not refer to half of a full bottle or pint, but is a standard glass size.
- French uses ma moitié (my half) as a romantic term of endearment for a spouse or partner. It is equivalent to calling someone 'my other half' in English.
- In French cooking, a demi-glace is a rich brown sauce. The term literally means 'half-glaze', referring to the process of reducing a stock by half to concentrate the flavor.
Examples in context
- Tu as à moitié raison.You're half right.This sentence shows how to use the adverbial phrase à moitié.Tatoeba #2402504 by sacredceltic, translation #2218155 by CK
- Je lui donnai ma moitié.I gave my half to him.This sentence uses moitié as a noun referring to a portion.Tatoeba #10984335 by Rovo, translation #3907423 by CH
- Il y en a la moitié à Tom.Half of these are Tom's.This sentence uses moitié to indicate a portion of a group.Tatoeba #6863686 by GB3, translation #6863407 by CK
- La moitié d'une pommeHalf of an apple
- La moitié du prixHalf of the price
- La moitié de la pizzaHalf of the pizza
- La moitié du groupeHalf of the group
- La moitié environ de la populationAbout half of the population
- Une demi-heureHalf an hour
- Une demi-bouteille de vinHalf a bottle of wine
- 186 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo are sharing a cake.
- ChloéJe coupe le gâteau en deux.I am cutting the cake in two.
- HugoJe veux la plus grande moitié !I want the bigger half!
- ChloéRegarde, chaque moitié est identique.Look, each half is identical.
- HugoD'accord, c'est parfait ainsi.Okay, it is perfect like that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “half” translations and entries moitié, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
