🕧

How to Say ‘Around half past twelve’ in French

Vers midi et demi

vair mee-DEE eh duh-MEE

[vair mee-DEE eh duh-MEE]

💬 Usage Tip: Put vers before a time to make it approximate. For example, vers une heure means "around one o'clock."

Phrase Breakdown

Vers midi

vair mee-DEE

Around noon

'Vers' means 'around' or 'about' with times, and its 's' is silent: 'vèr'.

Example

J'arrive vers midi.

I'm arriving around noon.

Words in this phrase

Vers

[vair]

around / towards

Used before a time to mean approximately.

Example

J'arrive vers midi.

I'm arriving around noon.

midi

[mee-DEE]

noon / midday

Twelve o'clock in the daytime.

Example

On mange à midi.

We eat at noon.

et demi

eh duh-MEE

thirty (half past)

'Et demi' means 'half past'. After 'midi' it is written 'demi' with no 'e'. The 't' of 'et' is never pronounced.

Example

Il est une heure et demie.

It's half past one.

Words in this phrase

[eh]

and

Joins two thoughts or questions together.

Example

Et vous êtes venu aussi?

And did you come too?

demi

[duh-MEE]

half

Used after a time to mean half past.

Example

Le train part à deux heures et demie.

The train leaves at half past two.

Guides for French learners

The Most Common French Verbs: the 20 You'll Actually UseThe 20 most common French verbs, with the present-tense forms you need, real example sentences with native audio, and two shortcuts for past and future.Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.

Get the Full Learning Experience

This lesson is just a preview. Download PrettyFluent to practice pronunciation, roleplay conversations, and master vocabulary with spaced repetition.

Pronunciation Feedback

AI-powered feedback on what you say out loud

Spaced Repetition

Retain vocabulary long-term with smart practice

Immersive Roleplaying

Practice real conversations with AI partners

Lessons for Your Situation

Request lessons tailored to your specific needs

Get Full Lesson

What Learners Are Saying

“Moved to Lyon for a culinary apprenticeship. The food and restaurant lessons were exactly what I needed — my French colleagues were genuinely impressed.”

Tom H., 38, Chef

“Studying in Paris and the academic French I learned in school was useless for daily life. This app filled the gap in weeks, not months.”

Nina W., 29, Graduate Student

“Learning a language has never been as immediately impactful. Now I can charm the locals and navigate the food scene like a boss.”

Alex M., 42, Software Engineer