dix heures et demie
The English phrase "ten thirty" is translated into French as dix heures et demie.
This phrase is used to state the time when it is ten hours and thirty minutes.
Which one should you use?
While dix heures et demie is the common way to say ten-thirty, dix heures trente is a more precise, digital-style way to state the time.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase dix heures et demie, the word demie is feminine because it agrees with the implied noun heure (hour), which is a feminine noun in French.
Did you know?
- When using a 24-hour clock, which is standard for schedules in France, ten thirty PM is expressed as vingt-deux heures trente. The phrase dix heures et demie is reserved for the 12-hour clock used in casual conversation.
- The word dix shares a common ancestral root with the English word 'decimate', which originally meant to kill one in every ten.
- While dix heures et demie is used for 10:30, French does not use the 'half past' construction to jump to the next hour. To say 10:30, you always refer to the tenth hour, not the eleventh.
Examples in context
- Maman dit que je peux veiller jusqu'à dix heures et demie.Mum says I'm allowed to stay up until ten-thirty.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use dix heures et demie when talking about a time limit for staying up.Tatoeba #13017299 by menaud, translation #13017266 by menaud
- Il est dix heures trente.It is ten thirty.
- Le rendez-vous est à dix heures trente précises.The appointment is at precisely ten thirty.
- Il est dix heures et demie.It's ten thirty.
- On se retrouve à dix heures et demie devant le café.Let's meet at ten thirty in front of the café.
- Il est dix heures trente, on devrait y aller.It's ten thirty, we should go.
- Le film commence à dix heures trente ce soir.The movie starts at ten thirty tonight.
- Le rendez-vous est à dix heures et demie.The appointment is at ten thirty.
- Je finirai mon travail à dix heures et demie.I will finish my work at ten thirty.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Gabriel are planning a meeting time.
- ManonOn se voit demain à dix heures et demie ?Shall we meet tomorrow at ten thirty?
- GabrielOui, c'est parfait pour moi.Yes, that's perfect for me.
- ManonD'accord, je t'attends à dix heures et demie.Okay, I'll wait for you at ten thirty.
- GabrielC'est noté, à demain !Got it, see you tomorrow!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dix, et, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
