"One year and a half"

Translation: Un an et demi

[prky]

What's the difference between "an" and "année"? how can a year be both masculine and feminine?

[olimo]

There is a difference, see here: http://french.about.com/od/vocabulary/a/an-annee-jour-journee-matin-matinee-soir-soiree.htm

[prky]

Merci pour les informations!

[Cyndiluwho]

I wrote un an et un demi and got it wrong for the second un.

[thiagoleal]

I entered "Un an et demi", and it returned as correct "Un an et demie", and now I see at the top of this comment the answer "Une année et demie". Why am I wrong in my first guess? "Un an" isn't masculine and thus shouldn't agree with "demi" instead of "demie"?

[Sitesurf]

The rule is that "demi" works with masculine words : "un an et demi" ; and "demie" with feminine words: "une année et demie".

So there is a mistake in the program if you saw "un an et demie"

[olimo]

Merci pour cette règle! Je me souviens en réfléchir, mais je n'suis pas arrivée de faire une recherche.

[Sitesurf]

If you allow me: "Je me souviens d'y avoir réfléchi, mais je ne suis pas arrivée à faire une recherche".

As complements to that rule:

"demi" means half, ie, "deux ans et demi" or "deux années et demie" mean two years and one half year, so no plural.

When "demi" is in front of a noun, with a hyphen in the middle, it remains invariable:

• une demi-heure
• deux demi-litres

As to plural, one case only (re. 1/2, 2/2, 3/2...) : un demi, deux demis, trois demis

[olimo]

Merci beaucoup! J'apprecie toujours les corrections.