Numbers in French Study Guide
How to Say Numbers in French
Introduction to French Numbers Tool
A resource available to find how to spell out numbers in French.
The tool currently works with whole numbers, accommodating both positive and negative integers up to one billion.
Understanding French Numbers
Basic Structure of French Numbers
The following sections outline how numbers are constructed in French, categorized by range.
Numbers 0-19
0 - zéro
1 - un
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
17 - dix-sept
18 - dix-huit
19 - dix-neuf
Numbers 20-69
Tens in French
20 - vingt
30 - trente
40 - quarante
50 - cinquante
60 - soixante
Composition of Numbers 20-69
The formation consists of a word for multiples of ten plus the unit (1-9) if applicable.
Example hyphenation:
22 = vingt-deux
45 = quarante-cinq
If the unit is 1, the word "et" is inserted:
21 = vingt et un
31 = trente et un
Numbers 70-79
Constructed by extending from "soixante-neuf":
70 = soixante-dix
71 = soixante et onze
72 = soixante-douze
73 = soixante-treize
Numbers 80-99
The French term for 80 is quatre-vingts (four twenties).
Structures for 81-99:
Consists of "quatre-vingt-" + (1-19)
Example:
81 = quatre-vingt-un
82 = quatre-vingt-deux
90 = quatre-vingt-dix
91 = quatre-vingt-onze
Note: Numbers do not utilize "et" in this range.
Hundreds
French term for '(a) hundred' is cent.
Form multiples of a hundred as follows:
deux cents (two hundreds), trois cents (three hundreds)
If not an exact hundred:
101 = cent un
201 = deux cent un
202 = deux cent deux
Important: no additional word for 'and' between hundreds and other units or tens in French.
Thousands
French for '(a) thousand' is mille.
This term does not take an -s and requires no "and" between thousands and lower denominations:
1000 = mille
2000 = deux mille
2001 = deux mille un
3079 = trois mille soixante-dix-neuf
Millions and Beyond
The French term for 'million' is million.
To express a million, use a format similar to:
1000450 = un million quatre cent cinquante
3800000 = trois millions huit mille
Notable: "millions" takes an -s in plural forms.
When it precedes a noun, utilize the preposition de:
a million people = un million de personnes
three and a half million trees = trois millions cinq cent mille d'arbres
Other Large Numbers
For larger numbers like billion and trillion, they follow the same naming conventions as millions regarding the use of un (a) or the plural -s, and the preposition de when used with following nouns.
French billion is equivalent to milliard (one million million), not to be confused with the English billion which is understood as a thousand million (the small scale).
Summary of Large Numbers:
106 = un million de…
109 = un milliard de…
1012 = un billion de…
1018 = un trillion de…
10100 = un gogol de…
Note: Names of large numbers in French and in English often appear in scientific notation to clarify magnitude without confusion between the languages.
Conclusion
This guide offers comprehensive insights into the formation and interpretation of numbers in French, emphasizing the distinct structural components that differentiate it from English number formation, particularly in higher numerical values.