A comprehensive guide to French fractions and percentages, including vocabulary, grammar, and example sentences for mastery.
Fractions and percentages are essential parts of French math vocabulary and everyday conversation. Understanding how to express parts of a whole and proportions in French will help you tackle everything from recipes to statistics.
- Covers French fraction and percentage vocabulary
- Explains grammar rules for agreement and usage
- Provides example sentences for context
Fraction Vocabulary
Fraction vocabulary in French uses cardinal numbers and specific words for parts of a whole. The numerator is stated first, followed by the denominator in ordinal form (except for "demi" and "quart").
- Use "sur" to mean "over" (e.g., trois sur quatre)
- "demi" (half) is special: use "une demi-heure" but "un demi" for half a portion
- Larger denominators use ordinal numbers: "cinquième" (fifth), "sixième" (sixth), etc.
| French Fraction | English Fraction | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| un demi / une moitié | one half | Je veux un demi de pain. | I want half a loaf of bread. |
| un tiers | one third | Un tiers de la classe est absent. | One third of the class is absent. |
| un quart | one quarter | J'ai mangé un quart du gâteau. | I ate a quarter of the cake. |
| un cinquième | one fifth | Un cinquième des élèves finit tôt. | One fifth of the students finish early. |
| un sixième | one sixth | J'ai lu un sixième du livre. | I've read one sixth of the book. |
| un dixième | one tenth | Cinq dixièmes sont égaux à un demi. | Five tenths equal one half. |
| trois sur quatre | three quarters | Trois sur quatre élèves ont réussi. | Three quarters of the students passed. |
| deux sur cinq | two fifths | Deux sur cinq préfèrent le thé. | Two fifths prefer tea. |
| sept sur huit | seven eighths | Sept sur huit invités sont arrivés. | Seven eighths of the guests have arrived. |
| neuf sur dix | nine tenths | Neuf sur dix médecins recommandent ça. | Nine tenths of doctors recommend this. |
Percentage Vocabulary
To express percentages in French, use "pour cent" after the number. The word "pourcentage" can be used as a noun, but simple numerical expressions are more common in everyday speech.
- Write percentages as: "X pour cent" (e.g., 20 pour cent)
- Use "le pourcentage de" to talk about the percentage of something
- In formal writing, you might see the "%" symbol used, but it's typically read aloud as "pour cent"
| French Percentage | English Percentage | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| % / dix pour cent | ten percent | Dix pour cent des ventes ont augmenté. | Ten percent of sales increased. |
| % / vingt-cinq pour cent | twenty-five percent | Vingt-cinq pour cent du groupe est absent. | Twenty-five percent of the group is absent. |
| % / cinquante pour cent | fifty percent | Cinquante pour cent des clients sont satisfaits. | Fifty percent of customers are satisfied. |
| % / soixante-quinze pour cent | seventy-five percent | Soixante-quinze pour cent du projet est terminé. | Seventy-five percent of the project is finished. |
| % / cent pour cent | one hundred percent | Je suis cent pour cent d'accord. | I am one hundred percent in agreement. |
| % / cinq pour cent | five percent | Les frais sont de cinq pour cent. | The fees are five percent. |
| % / trente pour cent | thirty percent | Trente pour cent des élèves ont réussi. | Thirty percent of the students passed. |
| % / soixante pour cent | sixty percent | Soixante pour cent des employés travaillent à distance. | Sixty percent of employees work remotely. |
| % / quatre-vingts pour cent | eighty percent | Quatre-vingts pour cent des voyants sont occupés. | Eighty percent of the checkout counters are busy. |
| % / quatre-vingt-dix pour cent | ninety percent | Quatre-vingt-dix pour cent des participants ont voté. | Ninety percent of participants voted. |
Grammar and Usage
French fractions and percentages use specific grammatical structures. Fractions can be nouns or adjectives, and percentages often require prepositions like "de."
- Singular vs. plural: use plural when the fraction/percentage refers to multiple items (e.g., "Un tiers des élèves" vs. "Des tiers")
- Agreement: fractions used as adjectives agree with the noun (e.g., "une fraction égale," "des fractions égales")
- Use "de" after fractions and percentages when referring to a group or amount (e.g., "un quart de la tarte")
| Rule | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|
| Singular fraction as subject | Un tiers de la pizza suffit. | One third of the pizza is enough. |
| Plural fraction as subject | Les tiers partagent les bénéfices. | The thirds share the profits. |
| Fraction agrees with feminine noun | Une moitié de la bouteille est vide. | Half of the bottle is empty. |
| Fraction agrees with plural noun | Quarts de tarte sont servis. | Quarters of the pie are served. |
| Use "de" after fraction | Un cinquième de la classe est absent. | One fifth of the class is absent. |
| Use "de" after percentage | Vingt pour cent des employés sont en congé. | Twenty percent of employees are on leave. |
| Percentage as noun | Le pourcentage d'erreurs est faible. | The error percentage is low. |
| Percentage with verb | Cinquante pour cent ont réussi. | Fifty percent succeeded. |
| Avoid article before fraction when used as adjective | J'ai mangé un quart de gâteau. | I ate a quarter of the cake. |
| Use article when fraction is noun | Le quart est parti tôt. | The quarter left early. |
When is the article used before a fraction in French?
When the fraction is a noun (Le quart est parti)
Use the article (le, la) when the fraction acts as a noun. When it’s an adjective, no article is used (un quart de gâteau).
How do French fractions agree with nouns?
Use 'demi/demi-' before nouns They agree in gender (une demi-heure), Ordinals agree in gender when used as adjectives (une tierce partie)
When ‘demi’ is used before a noun, it agrees in gender (une demi-heure). Larger fractions can show gender agreement in formal contexts.
Example Sentences
Here are some example sentences to demonstrate how fractions and percentages are used in context. These cover a range of situations, from everyday life to more formal settings.
| French Sentence | English Sentence |
|---|---|
| J'ai bu un demi-litre d'eau. | I drank half a liter of water. |
| Un tiers des invités est arrivé. | One third of the guests have arrived. |
| Nous avons vendu 75 % de nos produits. | We sold 75% of our products. |
| Il reste un quart du gâteau. | A quarter of the cake remains. |
| Vingt pour cent des étudiants ont échoué. | Twenty percent of the students failed. |
| Trois sur quatre préfèrent le chocolat. | Three quarters prefer chocolate. |
| % du budget est alloué au marketing. | % of the budget is allocated to marketing. |
| Je n'ai lu que un dixième du rapport. | I've only read one tenth of the report. |
| Le pourcentage de réussite est élevé cette année. | The success rate is high this year. |
| Un cinquième du temps est consacré à la pause. | One fifth of the time is devoted to the break. |
Conclusion
Understanding fractions and percentages in French is crucial for expressing quantities, proportions, and comparisons accurately. Practice using the vocabulary and grammar rules in real-life contexts to build confidence and fluency.
- Use cardinal + ordinal numbers for fractions (e.g., "trois quarts")
- Always use "de" when referring to a part of a group or whole
- Express percentages with "pour cent" and use singular/plural agreement accordingly
- Review example sentences to see how fractions and percentages fit naturally into French conversation
Flashcards (1 of 40)
- English Fraction: one half
- English Example: I want half a loaf of bread.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
