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:
- 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.
