How to Say "Half Past Six" in French

six heures et demie

Half past six in French is six heures et demie.

The phrase six heures et demie is used to express the time thirty minutes after six o'clock.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase literally translates to 'six hours and half'.

While six heures et demie is common in conversation, six heures trente is used in more formal contexts or when reading digital time.

In some French-speaking regions of Switzerland, the phrase C'est six heures trente is used instead of il est six heures trente.

The word demie is in the feminine form to agree with the feminine noun heure.

English speakers often mistakenly use the masculine demi instead of the feminine demie to agree with heure.

The final 's' in six is only silent when followed by a word starting with a consonant. If you say 'six heures', the 'x' is pronounced like a 'z' because it sits before a vowel.
The word et in your phrase was once written simply as e in Old French. The 't' was only re-added in the 12th century to more closely mirror its Latin ancestor.
In French, the phrase et demie can be used for any measurement of time, such as une heure et demie for ninety minutes, not just for clock times.

Je te verrai à six heures et demie.
I'll see you at half past six.
This sentence is useful for stating a meeting time with six heures et demie.
Tatoeba #2225321 by Rovo, translation #11879190 by sundown
Je me réveille à six heures et demie le matin.
I wake up at half past six in the morning.
This sentence is useful for describing a morning routine with six heures et demie.
Tatoeba #129370 by Aiji, translation #277734 by CK
Je rentrerai à la maison à six heures et demie.
I'll come home at half past six.
This sentence is useful for describing when someone returns home with six heures et demie.
Tatoeba #6606434 by aperitero, translation #12283315 by sundown
On se retrouve devant le cinéma à six heures et demie pile.
Let's meet in front of the cinema at exactly half past six.
4 more sentences on Tatoeba

Emma and Hugo are making plans for breakfast.

Emma

On prend le petit déjeuner à six heures et demie ?
Shall we have breakfast at half past six?
Hugo

Oui, c'est une bonne idée.
Yes, that is a good idea.
Emma

D'accord, je serai prête à six heures et demie.
Okay, I will be ready at half past six.
Hugo

Parfait, je préparerai le café.
Perfect, I will prepare the coffee.

Sources

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