There are words that we never know how to write correctly. And those 30 minutes are part of it. Should we write “half hour” or “half hour”? We explain how to stop forgetting it.
The use of the French language can sometimes be complex, with its rules, exceptions and linguistic pitfalls. One such spelling dilemma concerns the phrase “half hour.” Is it correct to write “in half an hour” or should it be written “in half an hour”? When you’re not a French teacher, you don’t always have the answer. However, for language enthusiasts, such a distinction may be important. Let’s go take a look.
First, let’s understand how the word “demi” works in French. It is a term which can sometimes agree in gender (masculine, feminine), but which remains invariable in number (one, two, ten). This is why we say “a year and a half” to refer to a year and six months, and “an hour and a half” to mention a duration of one and a half hours. In these examples, we note that “demi” agrees with the gender of “heure”, a feminine noun, while it remains invariable when associated with the masculine “an”.
That being said, when “half” precedes a noun, it remains invariable. It is for this reason that we say “half an hour” and not “half an hour”. The error is common, but the rule is clear: “demi” does not take an “e” when placed before a noun, regardless of the gender of the latter.
It should also be noted that “half” does not agree in number. So “two and a half” and “two and a half” are both correct. The “half” does not take an “s”, except in two specific cases: when it is used as a noun, evoking for example a drink, like “three halfs” (to talk about beers), or when talking about rugby , in reference to the “two scrum halves” players.
To check your understanding of the rule, consider the following sentence: “Three half-dozen half-crazed men string twelve halves every half hour beginning at half-past four.” In this example, you’ll notice that “half” is never followed by an “e” when it precedes a noun, such as “half-dozen” or “half-hour”. On the other hand, it agrees in gender in “four and a half hours”.
In summary, remember this simple rule: when “half” is used before a noun, it is invariable, regardless of the gender of the noun it precedes. So the next time you’re tempted to write “in half an hour,” think again about this rule and write correctly: “in half an hour.”
