hémisphère

hemisphere

noun eh-mee-SFAIR Rare

Origin: Greek hemisphairion 'half sphere'

Usage Note

Hémisphère refers both to the two halves of the globe (l'hémisphère nord, l'hémisphère sud) and, in anatomy, to the two halves of the brain (les hémisphères cérébraux). Note the masculine gender despite the -ère ending.

Examples

"L'été est chaud dans l'hémisphère sud."

Natural Translation

Summer is hot in the southern hemisphere.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

Aller + Infinitive: The Easy French Future

Form the French near future in seconds: conjugate aller in the present and add an infinitive. Learn futur proche rules, negation, pronouns, and when to use it.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

How to Pronounce the French R (Step by Step)

The French R is a back-of-the-throat sound, not a rolled R. Learn the exact tongue position and a step-by-step drill to build it from sounds you already make.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

French Numbers 70, 80, 90 Made Simple

French numbers 70, 80, 90 are soixante-dix, quatre-vingts, and quatre-vingt-dix. Learn three build formulas to make any number 70-99 on the fly.

June 3, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

French Café Culture: How to Order Like a Local

In a French café, un café means espresso, one drink rents the table for an hour, and you must ask for the bill. Order coffee like a local with these phrases.

June 4, 2026 7 min read