sept heures et demie
The English phrase 'half past seven' is translated into French as sept heures et demie.
The phrase sept heures et demie is used to refer to the time that is thirty minutes after seven o'clock.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'seven hours and half'.
Which one should you use?
While the masculine form demi is used in other contexts, the specific feminine form demie is used here because it follows the feminine noun for hour.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using et demie to express half past, the word demie must agree with the feminine noun heure and remains in its singular form.
Did you know?
- In France, people often use a 24-hour clock for official schedules, meaning dix-neuf heures trente is used instead of sept heures et demie to specify 7:30 PM.
- The word demie comes from the Latin 'dimidius', meaning 'half', and is the root of the English word 'demi-glace'.
- If you were to describe a 'half' of something else, such as 'a half bottle', you would use the masculine demi instead of the feminine demie used in time.
Examples in context
- Il est sept heures et demie.It's half past seven.This sentence shows how to state the time using sept heures et demie.Tatoeba #12828688 by Adelpa, translation #13385363 by glossboss
- Il est sept heures et demie tout juste.It is just half past seven.This sentence is useful for specifying that it is just half past seven using sept heures et demie.Tatoeba #426643 by gall, translation #40144 by CK
- Il est exactement sept heures et demie.It is exactly half past seven.This sentence is useful for emphasizing that it is exactly half past seven using sept heures et demie.Tatoeba #12828832 by Adelpa, translation #12828720 by Adelpa
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are discussing their morning schedule.
- EmmaÀ quelle heure on part demain ?What time are we leaving tomorrow?
- HugoJe pense qu'on peut partir à sept heures et demie.I think we can leave at half past seven.
- EmmaC'est parfait pour moi, Hugo.That is perfect for me, Hugo.
- HugoAlors, on se voit à sept heures et demie.So, we will see each other at half past seven.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries et, sept, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
