six heures et demie
The English phrase six thirty is expressed in French as six heures et demie.
This phrase is used to state the time when it is thirty minutes past six o'clock. To specify the time of day, you can add indicators such as du matin (in the morning), de l'après-midi (in the afternoon) or du soir (in the evening).
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, six heures et demie translates to 'six hours and a half'.
Which one should you use?
While six heures et demie is common in spoken language, six heures trente is used when precision is required or in formal contexts such as news broadcasts and official schedules.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, Canada, you can use six heures et demie du matin for six thirty in the morning and six heures et demie de l'après-midi for six thirty in the afternoon.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word demie is the feminine form, which is used to agree with the feminine noun heure.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the masculine form demi. Because heure is feminine, you must use the feminine demie.
Did you know?
- In many French-speaking regions, people use the 24-hour clock for almost all official communications. Instead of saying six heures et demie du soir, a train conductor or a news anchor would almost certainly say dix-huit heures trente.
- The spelling of the word et was actually changed in the 12th century to add the letter 't' so that it would look more like its Latin ancestor.
- When French speakers say et demie to mean 'half past', they are using the same word that means 'half' when describing a half-bottle of wine or a half-hour of work.
Examples in context
- Je te verrai à six heures et demie.I'll see you at six-thirty.This sentence shows how to use six heures et demie to indicate a specific time for an appointment.Tatoeba #2225321 by Rovo, translation #5011139 by AlanF_US
- Tom se lève toujours à six heures et demie.Tom always gets up at six-thirty.This sentence demonstrates using six heures et demie to describe a daily routine.Tatoeba #6000944 by sicerabibax, translation #3408724 by CK
- Nous avons une réservation pour six heures et demie.We have a reservation for six-thirty.This sentence illustrates using six heures et demie when making a reservation.Tatoeba #1496388 by Rovo, translation #1369387 by CK
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are discussing their morning schedule.
- HugoOn se retrouve à six heures et demie ?Shall we meet at six thirty?
- LéaOui, c'est parfait pour moi.Yes, that is perfect for me.
- HugoTu seras prête à six heures et demie ?Will you be ready at six thirty?
- LéaBien sûr, je serai prête.Of course, I will be ready.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries et, six, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
