huit heures et demie
The English phrase half past 8 is said in French as huit heures et demie.
You can include du matin after stating the hour to specify it is in the morning, or include du soir to specify it is in the evening.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of huit (eight), heures (hours), et (and) and demie (half).
How does it change in a sentence?
The word demie is in the feminine form to agree with the feminine noun heure.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the masculine demi instead of the feminine demie when referring to time, as heure is a feminine noun.
Did you know?
- The Latin ancestor of huit, 'octō', is a distant cousin to the English word 'octopus', as both share a root related to the number eight.
- The word huit was originally spelled huyct in Middle French. The 'h' was added to ensure it was not misread as 'vit' during a time when the letters 'u' and 'v' were often indistinguishable.
- In France, the 24-hour clock is used extensively in official contexts, so 'half past 8' in the evening is often expressed as vingt heures trente rather than huit heures et demie.
Examples in context
- Il est huit heures et demie. J'arriverai chez toi à neuf heures.It is eight-thirty. I will arrive at your place at nine o'clock.
- Le train arrive à huit heures et demie.The train arrives at half past 8.
- Il est huit heures et demie du matin.It is half past 8 in the morning.
- On se retrouve à huit heures et demie ?Shall we meet at half past 8?
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are deciding when to meet for breakfast.
- LéaOn se voit demain à huit heures et demie ?Shall we meet tomorrow at half past 8?
- LucasC'est un peu tôt pour moi, Léa.That is a bit early for me, Léa.
- LéaD'accord, on peut faire neuf heures.Okay, we can make it 9 o'clock.
- LucasParfait, ça me convient très bien.Perfect, that works very well for me.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries et, huit, CC BY-SA 4.0.
