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Numbers and counting

Capítulo 2

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When traveling in France or any French-speaking region, having a grasp of basic numbers and counting is essential. Whether you're buying a train ticket, ordering food, or checking into a hotel, numbers are a crucial part of daily interactions. This guide will help you learn the basics of French numbers, ensuring you can navigate through your travels with ease.

Counting from 0 to 10

Let's start with the basics. Here are the numbers from 0 to 10 in French:

0 - zéro
1 - un
2 - deux
3 - trois
4 - quatre
5 - cinq
6 - six
7 - sept
8 - huit
9 - neuf
10 - dix

Numbers 11 to 20

Once you're comfortable with 0 to 10, you can move on to 11 through 20:

11 - onze
12 - douze
13 - treize
14 - quatorze
15 - quinze
16 - seize
17 - dix-sept
18 - dix-huit
19 - dix-neuf
20 - vingt

Counting by Tens

Understanding multiples of ten is useful for handling larger numbers:

30 - trente
40 - quarante
50 - cinquante
60 - soixante
70 - soixante-dix
80 - quatre-vingts
90 - quatre-vingt-dix
100 - cent

Constructing Numbers Beyond 20

In French, numbers beyond 20 are constructed by combining the tens and units. For example:

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21 - vingt et un
22 - vingt-deux
31 - trente et un
45 - quarante-cinq
57 - cinquante-sept
68 - soixante-huit

Note that for numbers like 21, 31, 41, etc., the conjunction "et" is used, which means "and."

Hundreds and Beyond

For hundreds, simply add the word "cent" after the number. For example:

200 - deux cents
300 - trois cents
400 - quatre cents

For numbers in the hundreds, you combine as follows:

250 - deux cent cinquante
365 - trois cent soixante-cinq
499 - quatre cent quatre-vingt-dix-neuf

Practical Applications

Being able to count and understand numbers in French will be especially useful in various situations:

Shopping: Understanding prices and quantities.
Dining: Ordering the correct number of items or understanding a menu.
Transportation: Reading schedules and understanding time.
Accommodations: Booking rooms and understanding floor numbers.

Practice regularly, and soon you'll find that numbers become second nature in your French conversations.

Now answer the exercise about the content:

What is the French word for the number 78?

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The correct way of saying 78 in French is soixante-dix-huit. French numbers in this range are formed by adding the value of the numbers following the tens, so 78 is formed by combining soixante (60) and dix-huit (18).