French Number Pronunciation Guide205

French numbers can be a bit tricky to pronounce, but with a little practice, you'll be able to master them in no time. Here's a guide to help you get started:

0-10

0: zéro /zeʁo/
1: un /œ̃/ (masculine), une /yn/ (feminine)
2: deux /dø/
3: trois /tʁwɑ/
4: quatre /katʁ/
5: cinq /sɛ̃k/
6: six /sis/
7: sept /sɛt/
8: huit /ɥit/
9: neuf /nœf/
10: dix /dis/

11-19

French numbers from 11 to 19 are formed by adding "et" (and) to the number from 1 to 9. For example:

11: onze /ɔ̃z/
12: douze /duz/
13: treize /tʁɛz/
14: quatorze /katɔʁz/
15: quinze /kɛ̃z/
16: seize /sɛz/
17: dix-sept /dis sɛt/
18: dix-huit /dis ɥit/
19: dix-neuf /dis nœf/

20-99

French numbers from 20 to 99 are formed by combining the numbers from 1 to 9 with the tens digit. For example:

20: vingt /vɛ̃/
30: trente /tʁɑ̃t/
40: quarante /kaʁɑ̃t/
50: cinquante /sɛ̃kɑ̃t/
60: soixante /swɑ̃sɑ̃t/
70: soixante-dix /swɑ̃sɑ̃t dis/
80: quatre-vingts /katʁ vɛ̃/
90: quatre-vingt-dix /katʁ vɛ̃ dis/

100-999

French numbers from 100 to 999 are formed by combining the hundreds digit, the tens digit, and the ones digit. For example:

100: cent /sɑ̃/
200: deux cents /dø sɑ̃/
300: trois cents /tʁwɑ sɑ̃/
400: quatre cents /katʁ sɑ̃/
500: cinq cents /sɛ̃k sɑ̃/
600: six cents /sis sɑ̃/
700: sept cents /sɛt sɑ̃/
800: huit cents /ɥit sɑ̃/
900: neuf cents /nœf sɑ̃/

1,000 and up

French numbers from 1,000 and up are formed by combining the number of thousands, the number of hundreds, the number of tens, and the number of ones. For example:

1,000: mille /mil/
2,000: deux mille /dø mil/
3,000: trois mille /tʁwɑ mil/
4,000: quatre mille /katʁ mil/
5,000: cinq mille /sɛ̃k mil/
6,000: six mille /sis mil/
7,000: sept mille /sɛt mil/
8,000: huit mille /ɥit mil/
9,000: neuf mille /nœf mil/

One million is "un million" /œ̃ miljɔ̃/, and one billion is "un milliard" /œ̃ miljaʁ/.

Tips

Here are a few tips to help you pronounce French numbers more accurately:
Pay attention to the liaison. In French, certain words are pronounced together, even if they are spelled separately. For example, "vingt et un" is pronounced /vɛ̃‿et‿œ̃/.
Don't forget the silent letters. Many French numbers have silent letters, such as the "s" in "six" and the "t" in "huit".
Practice, practice, practice! The best way to improve your French number pronunciation is to practice regularly.

With a little practice, you'll be able to pronounce French numbers like a native speaker. Bonne chance!

2024-11-11

Previous：Learn to Play Guitar in Xi‘an: A Guide for French Speakers

Next：How to Pronounce the French Letter “Tu“