Beware not to mix up fractions (to describe a part of a whole: half, third, fourth...) and ordinal numbers (to describe an order/rank: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, ...).
For ordinal numbers, see Forming ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 10th...).
Look at these examples of fractions:
To express fractions in French, you usually use both cardinal (un/deux/trois...) and ordinal numbers (premier/cinquième...) the same way as in English (one fifth).
Note also that just like in English, the second number is plural if the first is.
ATTENTION:
Here are the irregular fractional numbers:
Examples and resources
Q&A Forum 2 questions, 4 answers
William Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Trois sixièmes ou un demi
I appreciate that exercise is showing how to write fractions. However, do they actually say "trois sixièmes" instead of "un demi" in everyday life?
Asked 2 years ago
Hi William,
I cannot think of a situation in every day life when you would use 'trois sixièmes' except in a Maths lesson...
GruffKwiziq team member
Hi William - I'm not quite sure I've understood what you're asking. Could you elaborate?
BonnieKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
You'd hear this in a classroom, or maybe 'Trois sixièmes, ah! c'est une demie!' after some calculation.
William asked:View original
Trois sixièmes ou un demi
I appreciate that exercise is showing how to write fractions. However, do they actually say "trois sixièmes" instead of "un demi" in everyday life?
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AurélieKwiziq team member
Joakim asked : why one says "tiers monde" rather than "troisième monde" ?
Asked 3 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Joakim !
The expression "le Tiers Monde" to say "the Third World" is fixed as it is in English: this is the only way to say this in French.
"Le Troisième Monde" would feel like there are more than one world, i.e. one planet, when here it's more of a division of the world into three "parts", hence the use of the fraction here.
À bientôt !
Aurélie asked:View original
Joakim asked : why one says "tiers monde" rather than "troisième monde" ?
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