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Les fractions
In both French and English, there’s a lot of overlap between fractions and ordinals: the vast majority of these two types of numbers share the same word. In English, they are identical from "third" on up, while in French they’re the same starting with cinquième.
French fractions
| whole | 1/1 | un tout, un entier |
| half | 1/2 | un demi, une demie |
| a third | 1/3 | un tiers |
| a fourth | 1/4 | un quart |
| a fifth | 1/5 | un cinquième |
| a sixth | 1/6 | un sixième |
| a seventh | 1/7 | un septième |
| an eighth | 1/8 | un huitième |
| a ninth | 1/9 | un neuvième |
| a tenth | 1/10 | un dixième |
| an eleventh | 1/11 | un onzième |
| a twelfth | 1/12 | un douzième |
| etc. |
Creating fractions
Other than demi, tiers, and quart, all French fractions are based on their corresponding cardinal numbers:
| cardinal | add -ième | ||
| six | un sixième | 1/6 | |
| vingt et un | un vingt et unième | 1/21 | |
| cent | un centième | 1/100 |
When the cardinal number ends in -e, that letter is dropped before the fraction ending:
| cardinal | drop -e | add -ième | ||
| onze | onz- | un onzième | 1/11 | |
| cinquante | cinquant- | un cinquantième | 1/50 |
Two other numbers require minor spelling corrections in their fractions:
| cardinal | correction | add -ième | ||
| cinq | cinqu | un cinquième | 1/5 | |
| neuf | neuv | un neuvième | 1/9 |
Of course, those corrections are also required in un dix-neuvième, un vingt-cinquième, etc.
Demi can be feminine when used as a noun or when it follows a noun.
| J’ai acheté une bouteille et lui, une demie. | I bought a bottle and he bought a half (bottle). | |
| une heure et demie | an hour and a half, one and half hours |
But when demi precedes a noun, it always stays in the masculine form.
| une demi-bouteille | a half-bottle | |
| une demi-heure | a half-hour |
All other French fractions are always masculine and must be preceded by a number.
| 3/4 | trois quarts | |
| 2/5 | deux cinquièmes | |
| 9/10 | neuf dixièmes |
And if they’re followed by a noun, the preposition de is needed as a go-between.
| 3/4 of the students | trois quarts des étudiants | |
| 2/5 of the book | deux cinquièmes du livre | |
| 9/10 of our revenue | neuf dixièmes de nos revenus |
Remember
Beginning with "third," French fractions are identical to ordinal numbers, other than the type of article:
| fraction | ordinal | |
| third | un tiers | le tiers |
| fiftieth | un cinquantième | le cinquantième |
French fractions and ordinal numbers are abbreviated differently. The fraction un cinquième can only be abbreviated 1/5, whereas the ordinal cinquième is shortened to 5e.
More French Numbers
- Approximate numbers
- Cardinal numbers
- Multiplicative numbers
- Number troubles
- Ordinal numbers
- Roman numerals
En español
In italiano
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