Numbers, Dates, and Essential Quantities

Why numbers and quantities matter in A1 French

Numbers, dates, and essential quantities appear everywhere: prices, phone numbers, schedules, addresses, birthdays, appointments, transport, and shopping. At A1, your goal is not to master every rule, but to recognize patterns and produce clear, usable French in common situations. This chapter focuses on: counting and saying numbers aloud, reading prices and times, giving and understanding dates, and using basic quantity words (a little, a lot, enough, too much) with practical examples.

Cardinal numbers (0–69): building blocks

0–16: memorize these first

These are frequent and irregular, so learn them as a set:

• 0 zéro
• 1 un / une (gender depends on the noun)
• 2 deux
• 3 trois
• 4 quatre
• 5 cinq
• 6 six
• 7 sept
• 8 huit
• 9 neuf
• 10 dix
• 11 onze
• 12 douze
• 13 treize
• 14 quatorze
• 15 quinze
• 16 seize

Practical note: un is used with masculine nouns (un café), une with feminine nouns (une baguette). The number itself is the same idea; only the form changes to match the noun.

17–19: “ten + seven/eight/nine”

French forms these as:

• 17 dix-sept
• 18 dix-huit
• 19 dix-neuf

20–69: tens + units (with one special case)

Tens:

Continue in our app.

You can listen to the audiobook with the screen off, receive a free certificate for this course, and also have access to 5,000 other free online courses.

Or continue reading below...

Download the app

• 20 vingt
• 30 trente
• 40 quarante
• 50 cinquante
• 60 soixante

Then add the unit with a hyphen:

• 22 vingt-deux
• 34 trente-quatre
• 58 cinquante-huit
• 63 soixante-trois

Special case: numbers ending in 1 use et (and) in 21, 31, 41, 51, 61:

• 21 vingt et un
• 31 trente et un
• 41 quarante et un
• 51 cinquante et un
• 61 soixante et un

But not for 81 and 91 (you will see why later).

Step-by-step practice: say any number from 0 to 69

Use this method:

• Step 1: Identify the tens (20, 30, 40, 50, 60).
• Step 2: Identify the unit (0–9).
• Step 3: If the unit is 0, say only the tens (e.g., 40 = quarante).
• Step 4: If the unit is 1 and the tens are 20–60, use “tens + et un” (e.g., 41 = quarante et un).
• Step 5: Otherwise, use “tens-unit” with a hyphen (e.g., 47 = quarante-sept).

Examples to test yourself: 26, 31, 45, 52, 60, 67, 19, 14

70–99: the French “math” pattern (common in France)

In many varieties of French (especially in France), 70–99 are built using 60 and 80. This is very common in everyday life, so it’s worth learning early.

70–79: “60 + 10–19”

• 70 soixante-dix (60 + 10)
• 71 soixante et onze (60 + 11)
• 72 soixante-douze
• 79 soixante-dix-neuf

Notice: 71 uses et: soixante et onze.

80–89: “4 x 20” + units

• 80 quatre-vingts
• 81 quatre-vingt-un
• 82 quatre-vingt-deux
• 89 quatre-vingt-neuf

Important spelling detail: quatre-vingts (80) has an s at the end of vingt because it is exactly 80. When you add another number, the s disappears: quatre-vingt-un, quatre-vingt-deux.

90–99: “80 + 10–19”

• 90 quatre-vingt-dix
• 91 quatre-vingt-onze
• 92 quatre-vingt-douze
• 99 quatre-vingt-dix-neuf

Notice: no et in 81 or 91 in this system.

Step-by-step practice: build 70–99

• Step 1: For 70–79, start with soixante and add 10–19.
• Step 2: For 80–89, start with quatre-vingt (add s only for 80).
• Step 3: For 90–99, start with quatre-vingt and add 10–19.

Say these aloud: 70, 71, 74, 80, 81, 88, 90, 95, 99

100 and beyond: essential large numbers

For everyday A1 needs, you should be comfortable with 100, 1,000, and common price ranges.

• 100 cent
• 101 cent un
• 110 cent dix
• 200 deux cents
• 1,000 mille
• 2,000 deux mille
• 10,000 dix mille

Spelling detail: cent takes an s when it is multiplied and not followed by another number: deux cents (200) but deux cent un (201). mille never takes an s in standard French: deux mille.

Useful number contexts

• Bus lines: le bus 24 (vingt-quatre)
• Room numbers: chambre 305 (trois cent cinq)
• Addresses: 12 rue Victor Hugo (douze rue Victor Hugo)
• Phone numbers: often said in pairs (see below)

Phone numbers: how to say them clearly

French phone numbers are often grouped in pairs of digits. For example, 06 12 34 56 78 is commonly read as: zéro six, douze, trente-quatre, cinquante-six, soixante-dix-huit.

Step-by-step: read a French phone number

• Step 1: Say the first two digits (often 06 or 07 in France for mobiles).
• Step 2: Continue in pairs: 12 / 34 / 56 / 78.
• Step 3: If a pair starts with 0, say zéro clearly (e.g., 04 = zéro quatre).

Practice: 01 40 20 30 90 = zéro un, quarante, vingt, trente, quatre-vingt-dix

Tip for clarity: speak slowly and pause slightly between pairs.

Prices and money: euros, cents, and common patterns

In France and many French-speaking contexts, you will see the euro symbol (€) and a comma for decimals (2,50 €). In speech, you can say:

• 1 €: un euro
• 2 €: deux euros
• 1,50 €: un euro cinquante
• 2,50 €: deux euros cinquante
• 0,80 €: quatre-vingts centimes or zéro euro quatre-vingts (less common)

For simple transactions, “euros + number” is very common: trois euros vingt (3,20 €), dix euros (10 €).

Mini-dialogues for prices

Use these patterns to understand and respond:

— C’est combien ? (How much is it?)  — C’est 4,90 €. (It’s €4.90.)

— Ça fait combien ? (How much is it altogether?)  — Ça fait 12 euros. (That makes €12.)

— Vous avez de la monnaie ? (Do you have change?)  — Oui, j’ai 2 euros. (Yes, I have €2.)

Dates: days, months, and how to say “the 1st”

Days of the week

Learn the seven days (no capital letter in French):

• lundi
• mardi
• mercredi
• jeudi
• vendredi
• samedi
• dimanche

Useful structures:

• lundi = on Monday (context often makes it clear)
• le lundi = on Mondays / every Monday (habit)
• ce lundi = this Monday
• lundi prochain = next Monday

Months of the year

Months also usually have no capital letter:

• janvier
• février
• mars
• avril
• mai
• juin
• juillet
• août
• septembre
• octobre
• novembre
• décembre

How to say the date

The standard format is: le + number + month.

• le 5 mai = May 5th
• le 12 octobre = October 12th

Special case: the first day of the month is le premier (not “un”):

• le 1er janvier = le premier janvier

For years, you can say the number normally:

• 2026 = deux mille vingt-six
• 1998 = mille neuf cent quatre-vingt-dix-huit

Step-by-step: give your birthday date

• Step 1: Start with Mon anniversaire, c’est le...
• Step 2: Say the day number (or le premier for the 1st).
• Step 3: Say the month.

Mon anniversaire, c’est le 14 mars.  Mon anniversaire, c’est le premier août.

Time and schedules: telling the time (basic, practical)

In French, you commonly use Il est... (It is...) + the time. You will encounter both 24-hour time (common for schedules) and 12-hour time (common in conversation). At A1, focus on understanding both and producing one clearly.

Hours: “heure(s)” and key expressions

• 1:00 = Il est une heure.
• 2:00 = Il est deux heures.
• 12:00 = Il est midi. (no “heures”)
• 00:00 = Il est minuit. (no “heures”)

Minutes: simple patterns

You can say:

• 2:10 = Il est deux heures dix.
• 2:15 = Il est deux heures quinze or Il est deux heures et quart.
• 2:30 = Il est deux heures trente or Il est deux heures et demie.
• 2:45 = Il est trois heures moins le quart. (common)

For A1 clarity, “heure + minutes” is the safest: deux heures quarante-cinq is always understood.

24-hour time (schedules)

Transport and official schedules often use 24-hour time:

• 14h00 = quatorze heures
• 18h30 = dix-huit heures trente
• 21h15 = vingt et une heures quinze

Note: 21:00 is vingt et une heures (because heure is feminine).

Step-by-step: ask and confirm an appointment time

• Step 1: Ask the time: C’est à quelle heure ?
• Step 2: Hear or propose a time: À 15h ? / À quinze heures ?
• Step 3: Confirm: D’accord, à quinze heures.

— C’est à quelle heure ?  — À 16h30.  — D’accord, à seize heures trente.

Essential quantities: articles, measures, and “some”

When you talk about quantities in French, you often need an article (a small word before the noun). For A1, focus on what you need in shops and daily needs: “a”, “some”, and basic containers/units.

Indefinite articles: “a/an/some (countable)”

Use these for one item:

• un + masculine noun: un café, un ticket
• une + feminine noun: une bouteille, une pomme

Plural “some” for countable items:

• des + plural noun: des pommes, des billets

Je voudrais une baguette et deux croissants.  J’achète des tomates.

Partitive articles: “some (uncountable)”

For things you don’t count as individual units (water, bread in general, cheese, rice), French often uses:

• du + masculine: du pain, du fromage
• de la + feminine: de la salade, de la confiture
• de l’ + vowel sound: de l’eau, de l’huile

Je voudrais du fromage.  Vous avez de l’eau ?  On prend de la salade.

In many real situations, you can also use a container word to make it countable: une bouteille d’eau, un kilo de riz.

Common units and containers (very practical)

• une bouteille (d’eau) = a bottle (of water)
• un verre (d’eau) = a glass (of water)
• une tasse (de café) = a cup (of coffee)
• un paquet (de pâtes) = a packet (of pasta)
• une boîte (de thon) = a can/box (of tuna)
• un kilo (de pommes) = a kilo (of apples)
• un demi-kilo (de tomates) = half a kilo (of tomatoes)
• 100 grammes (de fromage) = 100 grams (of cheese)

Structure to remember: quantity + de + noun. The de links the unit to the product.

Je voudrais un kilo de pommes.  Je prends 200 grammes de jambon.

How to express “a little”, “a lot”, “enough”, “too much”

Basic quantity adverbs

• un peu (de) = a little (of)
• beaucoup (de) = a lot (of)
• assez (de) = enough (of)
• trop (de) = too much / too many (of)

These are extremely useful because they work with many nouns. The common pattern is:

un peu de + noun  beaucoup de + noun  assez de + noun  trop de + noun

Examples:

• un peu d’eau (a little water)
• beaucoup de travail (a lot of work)
• assez de temps (enough time)
• trop de sucre (too much sugar)

Spelling/pronunciation note: before a vowel sound, de becomes d’: un peu d’eau, beaucoup d’argent.

Step-by-step: order food with quantity words

• Step 1: Start with a polite request: Je voudrais...
• Step 2: Add the quantity word: un peu de / beaucoup de / pas trop de
• Step 3: Add the item.

Je voudrais un peu de lait, s’il vous plaît.  Pas trop de sucre, merci.  Beaucoup de glace, s’il vous plaît.

“More” and “less”: comparing quantities

Two key words:

• plus = more
• moins = less

Common requests:

• Encore = some more / again (often used when you want more)
• Plus de... = more of...
• Moins de... = less of...

Encore un café, s’il vous plaît.  Plus d’eau, s’il vous plaît.  Moins de sel, merci.

Important: plus can be pronounced with a silent “s” or pronounced “s” depending on context and region. For A1, focus on being understood; both are commonly heard.

Fractions and “half” for everyday use

You will often need “half” in shops and markets:

• la moitié = half (the half)
• un demi / une demi(e) = a half (gender can vary with the noun)

Un demi-kilo de fraises, s’il vous plaît.  La moitié, s’il vous plaît. (when pointing/choosing)

Quantities with “how many/how much” questions

To ask about quantity, you will often use:

• Combien ? = How many? / How much?
• Combien de + noun ? = How many/much + noun?

Combien ça coûte ?  Combien de personnes ?  Combien de temps ?  Combien de kilomètres ?

In a shop:

— Combien de pommes ?  — Deux kilos, s’il vous plaît.

Putting it together: real-life mini-scenarios

Scenario 1: buying at a bakery

— Bonjour. Je voudrais deux croissants et une baguette, s’il vous plaît.  — Ça fait 4 euros 20.  — Voilà.  — Merci, bonne journée.

What to notice: numbers for items (deux), an indefinite article for one item (une), and a price with euros + cents (quatre euros vingt).

Scenario 2: making an appointment

— C’est à quelle date ?  — Le 12 février.  — Et c’est à quelle heure ?  — À 14h15.  — D’accord, le 12 février à quatorze heures quinze.

What to notice: date format (le + number + month) and 24-hour time for clarity.

Scenario 3: asking for quantities at a market

— Bonjour. Je voudrais un kilo de tomates, s’il vous plaît.  — Autre chose ?  — Oui, 200 grammes de fromage, et un peu de salade.  — Voilà.  — Merci.

What to notice: unit + de + product, grams, and a flexible quantity word (un peu de).

Targeted drills you can do in 10 minutes

Drill 1: number sprint (2 minutes)

Say aloud: 1–20, then 20–29, then 30–39. Repeat with 40–49 and 50–59. Focus on speed and clarity.

Drill 2: price reading (3 minutes)

Write five prices and read them aloud:

2,10 €  5,50 €  12,90 €  0,80 €  19,00 €

Drill 3: date + time (3 minutes)

Create three appointments and say them:

le 3 avril à 9h00  le 18 juin à 16h45  le premier décembre à 12h30

Drill 4: quantity requests (2 minutes)

Say five requests using different quantity tools:

un kilo de...  200 grammes de...  une bouteille d’...  un peu de...  beaucoup de...