Cardinal numbers in French are used to denote quantity and answer the question “How many?” They are essential for counting and quantifying things. Here’s a guide to the cardinal numbers in French:
1. Basic Cardinal Numbers
- 0 – zéro
- 1 – un (masculine), une (feminine)
- 2 – deux
- 3 – trois
- 4 – quatre
- 5 – cinq
- 6 – six
- 7 – sept
- 8 – huit
- 9 – neuf
- 10 – dix
2. Numbers from 11 to 20
- 11 – onze
- 12 – douze
- 13 – treize
- 14 – quatorze
- 15 – quinze
- 16 – seize
- 17 – dix-sept
- 18 – dix-huit
- 19 – dix-neuf
- 20 – vingt
3. Tens
- 30 – trente
- 40 – quarante
- 50 – cinquante
- 60 – soixante
- 70 – soixante-dix (literally “sixty-ten”)
- 80 – quatre-vingts (literally “four twenties”)
- 90 – quatre-vingt-dix (literally “four twenty-ten”)
4. Numbers from 21 to 69
- Numbers from 21 to 29, 31 to 39, etc., are formed by combining the tens with units:
- 21 – vingt et un
- 22 – vingt-deux
- 31 – trente et un
- 45 – quarante-cinq
5. Numbers from 71 to 99
- Numbers in the seventies and nineties are constructed by combining sixty or eighty with units:
- 71 – soixante-onze (literally “sixty-eleven”)
- 75 – soixante-quinze (literally “sixty-fifteen”)
- 81 – quatre-vingt-un (literally “four twenty-one”)
- 99 – quatre-vingt-dix-neuf (literally “four twenty-ten-nine”)
6. Hundreds, Thousands, and Beyond
- 100 – cent
- 200 – deux cents
- 300 – trois cents
- 1,000 – mille
- 2,000 – deux mille
- 10,000 – dix mille
- 100,000 – cent mille
- 1,000,000 – un million
Usage in Sentences:
- J’ai trois pommes. (I have three apples.)
- Il y a vingt élèves dans la classe. (There are twenty students in the class.)
- Le livre coûte cinquante euros. (The book costs fifty euros.)
Note:
- Cent is used as “hundred” and changes form when used in plural (e.g., “deux cents” for “two hundred”).
- Mille remains unchanged in plural forms (e.g., “trois mille” for “three thousand”).