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À temps partiel vs. à mi-temps

Word practice demo
In French, both à temps partiel and à mi-temps refer to working schedules that are not full-time. The key difference lies in precision: à temps partiel is the umbrella term for any reduction in hours, whereas à mi-temps is a specific subset meaning exactly 50% of the standard working time.

À temps partiel

A2
This is the general, legal term for part-time. It applies to any work schedule that is less than the statutory full-time limit (usually 35 hours in France). Whether you work 80% (4 days a week) or just a few hours on the weekend, it is considered à temps partiel.
Elle cherche un travail à temps partiel pour payer ses études.
(She is looking for a part-time job to pay for her studies.)
Depuis la naissance de son fils, il est passé à temps partiel le mercredi.
(Since the birth of his son, he has switched to part-time on Wednesdays.)
Ce contrat à temps partiel est de vingt-quatre heures par semaine.
(This part-time contract is for twenty-four hours a week.)
Beaucoup d'étudiants préfèrent travailler à temps partiel.
(Many students prefer to work part-time.)

À mi-temps

A2
Literally translating to at half-time, this term specifically means working exactly 50% of the standard hours. It is often used to describe schedules where someone works only mornings, only afternoons, or 2.5 days a week. All mi-temps jobs are temps partiel, but not all temps partiel jobs are mi-temps.
Je travaille à mi-temps, seulement le matin.
(I work half-time, only in the morning.)
L'entreprise cherche une secrétaire à mi-temps.
(The company is looking for a half-time secretary.)
Après son accident, il a repris le travail à mi-temps thérapeutique.
(After his accident, he returned to work on a therapeutic half-time basis.)
Ce poste est un mi-temps, tu travailleras dix-sept heures et demie.
(This position is half-time; you will work seventeen and a half hours.)

Summary

To summarize, use à temps partiel for any situation where hours are reduced (from 10% to 90% of a full week). Use à mi-temps specifically when the schedule is cut exactly in half (50%).