les fractions
Fractions in French are formed by combining a cardinal number with an ordinal number. All Fractions are in the masculine form.
| ENGLISH | FRENCH |
| one half 1/2 | un demi |
| one third 1/3 | un tiers |
| one fourth 1/4 | un quart |
| one fifth 1/5 | un cinquième |
| one sixth 1/6 | un sixième |
| one seventh 1/7 | un septième |
| one eigth 1/8 | un huitième |
| one nineth 1/9 | un neuvième |
| one tenth 1/10 | un dixième |
| one twentieth 1/20 | un vingtième |
| one one hundredth 1/100 | un centième |
how to form fractions
When forming a French fraction, the numerator (part above the line) is based on the cardinal number and the denominator (part below the line) is based on the ordinal number. Here you can find a page covering ordinal numbers. Examples:
- deux tiers = 2/3
- trois quarts = 3/4
- un sixième = 1/6
demie et moitié
The words demie and moitié can cause a bit a confusion. When wanting to express half of a whole (half of the pie, pizza, etc.) use le/la moitié de. For example:
- J’ai mangé la moité de la pizza. I ate half the pizza.
Use un/une demi + noun to express the following:
- une demi-heure – a half-hour
- une demi-bouteille – half a bottle
- une demi-journée – half a day
using fractions to describe portions
When using to describe portions of a total, the fraction must be followed by de. Here are some examples:
- trois quarts des étudiants – 3/4 of the students
- deux tiers des pages – 2/3 of the pages
- neuf dixièmes de la population – 9/10 of the population
Related lessons
