Demi/moitié/etc = Half in French

Written by Qualified French Expert Aurélie Drouard , HKH, Licence d'anglais LLCE
Last updated: 2022-12-08
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In French, there are three different ways to express half with nouns and one with adjectives.

How to express "half" in French

la moitié de [quelque chose] = half the/half of the [noun]

J'ai bu la moitié de la bouteille.I drank half (of) the bottle.

Tu as mangé la moitié du gâteau.You ate half (of) the cake.

La moitié du temps, je le fais pour lui.Half the time, I do it for him.

Il a dépensé la moitié de son argent.He spent half his money.

Elle a gardé la moitié des bonbons pour plus tard.She kept half of the sweets [US: half of the candy] for later.

Il ne mange qu'une moitié du biscuit.He only eats one half of the biscuit.

La moitié de means half the/half of the [noun]. It is always feminine.

Note that you can also say une moitié de to express one half of [something].

 

un/une demi-[nom] = half a /a half-sized [noun]

J'ai utilisé un demi-seau d'eau pour arroser les plantes.I used half a bucket of water to water the plants.

Je bois une demi-bouteille de vin par jour.I drink half a bottle of wine a day.

On a acheté quelques demi-bouteilles dans l'avion.We bought a few half-sized bottles on the plane.

Achète une demi-baguette en rentrant !Buy a half baguette on your way home!

Depending on context, Un/une demi-[nom] can either refer to half a full-sized item (i.e. bucket) or to one of these half-sized items, like half bottles. The context will usually help distinguish which one it is, but you use demi- in both cases. 

Un/une agree in gender with the object it refers to, BUT demi- never changes!

Note that the object referred to is attached to demi with a hyphen.


[nom] et demi/demie = [noun] and a half

Marc a quinze ans et demi.Marc is fifteen and a half.

J'ai bu une bouteille et demie. I drank a bottle and a half

Il a rempli un cahier et demi.He filled one notebook and a half.

[nom] et demi/demie means [noun] and a half.
Demi here agrees in gender with the object it refers to.

Note that et demi is placed after the object it refers to.

 

à moitié [adjectif] = half/halfway [adjective]

Tu vois toujours le verre à moitié vide !You always see the glass half empty!

Ma dissertation est à moitié terminée.My essay is halfway finished.

Il était à moitié endormi pendant le cours.He was half asleep during the lesson.

To say something is half/halfway [adjective], in French you use à moitié [adjectif].
The adjective after à moitié agrees in gender and number with the noun it refers to.

 

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Learn more about these related French grammar topics

  • Slang/Expression/Highly Idiomatic

Examples and resources

Il était à moitié endormi pendant le cours.He was half asleep during the lesson.
Il a dépensé la moitié de son argent.He spent half his money.
La moitié du temps, je le fais pour lui.Half the time, I do it for him.
On a acheté quelques demi-bouteilles dans l'avion.We bought a few half-sized bottles on the plane.
Achète une demi-baguette en rentrant !Buy a half baguette on your way home!
Tu vois toujours le verre à moitié vide !You always see the glass half empty!
Ma dissertation est à moitié terminée.My essay is halfway finished.

et demi/demie (and a half)

J'ai bu une bouteille et demie. I drank a bottle and a half
Il a rempli un cahier et demi.He filled one notebook and a half.
Marc a quinze ans et demi.Marc is fifteen and a half.

la moitié de (half of)

Elle a gardé la moitié des bonbons pour plus tard.She kept half of the sweets [US: half of the candy] for later.
J'ai bu la moitié de la bouteille.I drank half (of) the bottle.
Tu as mangé la moitié du gâteau.You ate half (of) the cake.
Il ne mange qu'une moitié du biscuit.He only eats one half of the biscuit.

un/une demi- (a half)

J'ai utilisé un demi-seau d'eau pour arroser les plantes.I used half a bucket of water to water the plants.
Je bois une demi-bouteille de vin par jour.I drink half a bottle of wine a day.
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