In French, fractions and percentages are used to describe parts of a whole or to express proportions. Understanding the key vocabulary and how to form these expressions will help you communicate more precisely in everyday situations, math, and shopping.
Fractions
Fractions in French are expressed using the pattern numerator + (denominator in ordinal form). For example, 1/2 is un demi (half), and 3/4 is trois quarts (three quarters). When the numerator is greater than one, use the plural form for the denominator (e.g., demis, tiers, quarts).
| Fraction | French Singular | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Example Sentence | Example Sentence (French) | Example Sentence (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| /2 | un demi | deux demis | one half | two halves | I ate half the cake. | J’ai mangé un demi-gâteau. | I ate half a cake. |
| /3 | un tiers | deux tiers | one third | two thirds | One third of the class is absent. | Un tiers de la classe est absent. | One third of the class is absent. |
| /4 | un quart | trois quarts | one quarter | three quarters | I drank three quarters of the bottle. | J’ai bu trois quarts de la bouteille. | I drank three quarters of the bottle. |
| /5 | un cinquième | deux cinquièmes | one fifth | two fifths | One fifth of the apples are rotten. | Un cinquième des pommes est pourri. | One fifth of the apples is rotten. |
| /6 | un sixième | trois sixièmes | one sixth | three sixths | One sixth of the team is new. | Un sixième de l’équipe est nouveau. | One sixth of the team is new. |
| /8 | un huitième | quatre huitièmes | one eighth | four eighths | I need one eighth of a kilogram. | J’ai besoin d’un huitième de kilo. | I need one eighth of a kilogram. |
| /10 | un dixième | cinq dixièmes | one tenth | five tenths | One tenth of the students left early. | Un dixième des élèves est parti tôt. | One tenth of the students left early. |
More Examples
| Fraction | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|
| /3 | J’ai mangé deux tiers du gâteau. | I ate two thirds of the cake. |
| /5 | Trois cinquièmes des votes sont pour elle. | Three fifths of the votes are for her. |
| /10 | Sept dixièmes des participants ont réussi. | Seven tenths of the participants passed. |
Percentages
Percentages in French use the word pour cent (per hundred). The number is followed by pour cent without changing form. For example, 50% is cinquante pour cent.
| Percentage | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|
| % | Dix pour cent des élèves ont réussi. | Ten percent of the students passed. |
| % | Vingt-cinq pour cent du gâteau est parti. | Twenty-five percent of the cake is gone. |
| % | Cinquante pour cent des participants sont absents. | Fifty percent of the participants are absent. |
| % | Soixante-quinze pour cent du travail est fait. | Seventy-five percent of the work is done. |
| % | Cent pour cent des personnes sont d’accord. | One hundred percent of people agree. |
Additional Notes
- When reading percentages out loud, use cardinal numbers (e.g., trente, quarante-cinq).
- In writing, the % symbol is used just like in English.
More Examples
| Percentage | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|
| % | Cinq pour cent des guests sont en retard. | Five percent of the guests are late. |
| % | Soixante pour cent du budget est utilisé. | Sixty percent of the budget is used. |
| % | Quatre-vingt-dix pour cent des tâches sont terminées. | Ninety percent of the tasks are complete. |
Translate this sentence into French using the correct percentage: Fifty percent of the participants are absent.
Cinquante pour cent des participants sont absents.
Fifty percent is 'cinquante pour cent' in French. 'Des participants' means 'of the participants,' so the sentence is 'Cinquante pour cent des participants sont absents.'
Summary
- Fractions: Use numerator + denominator in ordinal form (un quart, deux tiers).
- Percentages: Use number + pour cent (vingt pour cent).
- Pluralize denominators in fractions when numerator > 1 (quarts, tiers).
- Use percentages to describe proportions out of 100.
How do you express percentages in French?
Use 'number + pour cent' (e.g., 'vingt pour cent').
Percentages are expressed as 'number + pour cent' in French (e.g., 'vingt pour cent'). The % symbol is used in writing as in English.
Flashcards (1 of 18)
- Fraction: 1/2
- Example Sentence: I ate half the cake.
- English Singular: one half
- English Plural: two halves
- Example Sentence (English): I ate half a cake.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
