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How to Say ‘Half past nine’ in French

Neuf heures et demie

nurf UR eh duh-MEE

[nurf UR eh duh-MEE]

💬 Usage Tip: Demie ends in e because it agrees with heure, but after midi or minuit it's spelled demi. Both sound the same.

Phrase Breakdown

Neuf heures

nurf UR

Nine o'clock

The 'f' becomes a 'v' before 'heures': 'nuh-vur'.

Example

Il est neuf heures.

It's nine o'clock.

Words in this phrase

Neuf

[nurf]

nine

The number 9; the final f sounds like 'v' before 'ans' and 'heures'.

Example

Nous serons neuf à table.

There will be nine of us at the table.

heures

[UR]

o'clock

Used after a number to tell the time of day.

Example

Le dîner est à huit heures.

Dinner is at eight o'clock.

et demie

eh duh-MEE

and a half (thirty)

Adds half an hour. Say 'ay duh-mee'.

Example

Midi et demie.

Half past twelve.

Words in this phrase

[eh]

and

Joins two thoughts or questions together.

Example

Et vous êtes venu aussi?

And did you come too?

demie

[duh-MEE]

half

Half an hour past; feminine because it agrees with 'heure'.

Example

Il est midi et demie.

It is half past twelve.

Guides for French learners

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.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

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