"One year and a half"
Translation:Un an et demi
11 Comments
2044
What's the difference between "an" and "année"? how can a year be both masculine and feminine?
There is a difference, see here: http://french.about.com/od/vocabulary/a/an-annee-jour-journee-matin-matinee-soir-soiree.htm
With année it's more used with Bonne Année, as in have a good year. Duolingo sometimes uses année a little weirdly but use "an" as if you're saying something like Cet an est super. But you could use them interchangeably I guess. But use an more.
Please read the link provided by OIimo above and you will find out that Duo does not use an or année weirdly but according to French rules and usage.
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"?
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"
Merci pour cette règle! Je me souviens en réfléchir, mais je n'suis pas arrivée de faire une recherche.
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
