One of the first things a French student will learn is numbers. Whether you want to learn how to count or work on understanding what's going on during your daily interactions, memorizing numbers and numerical expressions will help you become more fluent. You can study directly from the article, or click the image to download a printable study sheet. Once you've studied, try to test yourself using this printable worksheet and check your work using the answer sheet (but don't peek until you try on your own!)
If you need help downloading the printable worksheet, check out these helpful tips.
One and Only
There are many different uses of the word 'one.' English speakers use the same word, but in French there are several different words depending on what you mean.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| un | uhn | one; used for counting or describing an item that is masculine |
| une | oon | one; used only for describing one item that is feminine |
| unique | oo-neek | the only one |
| celui-ci/celui-là | suh-loo-ee see/suh-loo-ee lah | this one or that one |
| lequel/laquelle | luh-kell/lah-kell | used for when you're asking which one |
Ordinal Numbers
Do you want the first or second dessert in the case? What row are your seats for the theatre? To answer these questions, you have to learn ordinal numbers.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| premier/-ère | pruh-mee-ay or pruh-mee-air | first |
| deuxième | duh-zee-em | second |
| troisième | twah-zee-em | third |
| quatrième | kah-tree-em | fourth |
| cinquième | sank-ee-em | fifth |
| sixième | see-see-em | sixth |
| septième | set-ee-em | seventh |
| Huitième | hweet-ee-em | eight |
| Neuvième | nuh-vee-em | ninth |
| Dixième | dee-see-em | tenth |
First and Last
Like with the word 'one,' English speakers really have only one word to express the idea of 'first,' and one word to express the idea of 'last.' In French, the expression changes, and there are several phrases and words that you'd use, depending on what you're trying to convey.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| tôt le matin | toe luh mah-tehn | first thing in the morning |
| en premier | ehn pruh-mee-ay | first, as in before anyone else |
| d'abord | dah-borh | first, as in before anything else |
| pour la première fois | poor lah pruh-mee-air fwah | for the first time |
| dernière | dair-nee-yair | last |
| l'année passée | lah-nay pah-say | last year |
| hier soir | he-yair swahr | last night |
| en dernier | ohn dair-ne-yay | finally |
Basic Counting
Of course, any expression is useless if you don't know how to count and use basic numbers. Note in particular how the numbers 70, 80 and 90 are constructed.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| un | uhn | one |
| deux | duh | two |
| trois | twah | three |
| quatre | kah-truh | four |
| cinq | sank | five |
| six | sees | six |
| sept | set | seven |
| huit | hweet | eight |
| neuf | nuhf | nine |
| dix | dees | ten |
| onze | ohnze | eleven |
| douze | dooz | twelve |
| treize | trehz | thirteen |
| quatorze | kah-torz | fourteen |
| quinze | canz | fifteen |
| seize | sehz | sixteen |
| dix-sept | dees-set | seventeen |
| dix-huit | dees-hweet | eighteen |
| dix-neuf | dees-nuhf | nineteen |
| vingt | vahn | twenty |
| vingt et un | vahn-tay-uhn | twenty-one |
| vingt-duex | vahnt-duh | twenty-two |
| trente | trohnt | thirty |
| quarante | kair-ohnt | forty |
| cinquante | sank-ohnt | fifty |
| soixante | swahs-sohnt | sixty |
| soixante-dix | swahs-sohnt-dees | seventy, literally sixty-ten |
| soixante-onze | swahs-sohnt ohnze | seventy-one, literally sixty-eleven |
| quatre-vignts | kair-ohnt vahnt | eighty |
| quatre-vignts-un | kair-ohnt vahnt-uhn | eighty-one |
| quatre-vignts-dix | kair-ohnt vahnt-dees | ninety |
| cent | sohn | one hundred |
| mille | meeyuh | one thousand |
| million | mee-leeohn | one million |
Practice Makes Perfect
Numbers and expressions that use them are imperative to master if you're traveling through France. Numbers crop up while you're shopping, at a hotel, in a restaurant or even taking a tax or the train. Everywhere you go, you'll need to at least understand numbers. Practice frequently by studying online flashcards or ones you make yourself - or taking a quiz like the French numbers quizzes found at FunTrivia.com and OnlineWebShop.net.
