French numbers from 1 to 1000. Numbers in French made easy

Romantic French is the official language (the only one, as in France, or one of four, as in Switzerland) in almost three dozen countries. According to various estimates, more than 270 million people around the world can speak French fluently.

• For comparison: around the world, approximately 1.8 billion people speak English, about 1.3 billion people have mastered Chinese at various levels, and more than 0.5 billion people on Earth speak Russian.

ON THE FRENCH SIDE, ON AN ALIEN PLANET, I WILL HAVE TO STUDY AT A UNIVERSITY...

Learning French is both difficult and exciting at the same time, since the student is constantly faced with numerous surprises with foreign grammar and vocabulary.

One of the simplest, and therefore most beloved by most students, are the lessons that cover the topic of numerals. It would seem that there could be something complicated here: 1, 2, 3... 8, 9, 10, 20... 70, 80 and so on. The main thing is to remember the names of units, tens, hundreds and combine them with each other.

But no, the system of French numerals has prepared a very unique approach for foreigners, which for some at first turns out to be quite difficult to understand. Most Russian-speaking students call the French number system difficult and inconvenient, since they have to memorize and adapt to a combination of ten and twenty systems.

But let's get to the point.

FRENCH COUNTER: WHAT IS WRONG?

With numerals from one to ten in French everything is as clear as in Russian:

		en, yun
		trois"
		quadr
		senk

In further counting in Slavic languages, the ending -tsat is added (that is, it is tied to the usual decimal system of counting). For example: one - eleven, two - twelve, then - twenty, thirty, five-ten, eight-ten, etc. Agree, remembering this order is not particularly difficult.

In French numerals, the same counting system is repeated up to the number 16 (the numerals here are simple monosyllabic words obtained by simplifying the Latin names that became the “progenitors” of French words):

			trez
			kato"rz
			kenz

But starting with the number “17”, a surprise awaits you. In theory, this number should look like this: septendecim(that is, 7 + 10). But in practice, this and the two subsequent numerals become two-syllable words in which the usual ending, meaning -twenty, or just ten, is put in first place, so it looks like this:

			diz-yu"t
			dis-set
			des-neuve

With the numerals from “20” to “60” inclusive, everything again looks logical. The names of the tens come from simplified Latin names:

			trant
			kara"nt
			senka"nt
			suasa"nt

All numbers in the range from 20 to 69 are formed according to the usual and extremely clear scheme: the required single number is added to the tens.

• Let's say, if it is 33 (30 + 3), then the French call this number as follows: trente-trios (with a hyphen), or 45 (40 + 5) = quarante-cinq. A small exception is for numbers with one, in which case it is customary to use the conjunction “et” instead of a hyphen, for example, cinquanteetun(50 +1).

FRENCH MATH: WHY IS 80 IN FRENCH FOUR TIMES 20?

But, starting from the seventh decade, the French surprise us again. In their number system, the transition from decimal to decimal system begins, so 70 is no longer 7 × 10, as one might assume, but (6 × 10 + 10). For clarity, let’s present the numbers in tabular form:

			suasa"nt-di"s
			Quatreux-van
	quatre-vingt-dix		Quatreux-van-dis

These three tens also have their own rules for the formation of compound numerals.

For example, if you need to indicate the number 72, then you can do this by adding the number 12 to 60, that is, in writing it will look like this: soixante-douze(60 + 12). In other words, the number 70 does not seem to exist in French - you have to make do with the number “60”, adding the necessary numerals to it.

In the case of the numbers “80” and “90” the phrase “quatre-vingts” is used. If the number 81 is meant, then it will sound like “quatre-vingts-un” (4×20+1), if you need to say 91, then the French say “quatre-vingts-onze” (4×20+11).

• It should be noted that in a number of French-speaking countries (Switzerland, Belgium), and even in some French regions, the “controversial” tens, namely 70 - 80 - 90, are pronounced and used according to a simplified system, that is, as septante, huitante (octante) , nonante. These are “newly formed” numerals, which are used along with “classical” ones.

In subsequent numerals in French, generally accepted rules are repeated. For example, the number 100 is translated as “cent”, and 200, in turn, will sound like deux cents (2 hundreds), etc. Well, if you want to name (write in words) a large number, for example, 1975, then you will have to remember all the features and intricacies of the ten + twenty numeral system of the French system, that is, it will look like this:

mille neuf cents soixante quinze(1000) + (900) + (6×10) + (15)

The decimal counting system was also reflected in the French monetary system: for example, 1 franc was not 10, but precisely 20 sous.

THE CELTS AND THE NORMANS MIXED INTO A PILE...

Perhaps, at first glance, such a system of calculus and the formation of numerals really seems complex and confusing, but in practice you get used to it quite quickly. The only question that arises is why did everything turn out this way in French?

Discussions about unusual, some even say “abnormal” French numerals are still ongoing, and there is no consensus among experts yet.

The main hypothesis is ancient historical roots. This is obviously due to relationships with other nationalities that influenced the development of the French language.

In particular, although the basis of the French language, which belongs to the Romance group, is Latin, in which, as is known, decimal calculation is accepted, Celtic tribes once lived in the territory of Provence. This, as well as active trade with the Vikings from Normandy, who, like the Celts, used the base-20 number system, apparently affected the French numerals.

• The Mayan and Aztec tribes also used the decimal counting system.

Historians note that in the 17th century in France there was a “confrontation” between the decimal and twentieth systems of counting. In particular, the famous writers Moliere and La Bruyère took part in it, who used (read - popularized) one or another system in their works.

Pinch your nose to get the right sound un. The French word "one" contains a nasal vowel sound, which is not found in Russian. Therefore, it can be difficult to pronounce it correctly. Practice making the sound by lightly pinching your nose with your fingers.

• You can also try pinching your nostrils when pronouncing this word. It's like breathing in air.

Do mouth exercises to help you pronounce sounds correctly. u French. Sound u, as in the word neuf, is another sound that does not exist in Russian. And it can be especially challenging for Russian speakers who are trying to learn French.

• First, open your mouth to make a sound. O. Repeat the sound, narrowing your lips until the sound becomes similar to at.
• Purse your lips and make a sound iii. It will be somewhat similar to the French one u. You may have to repeat this exercise several times a day for a couple of weeks before you can pronounce this sound naturally.
• Learn to distinguish sounds u And ou. Despite their similarities, you must be able to tell them apart if you want to pronounce French words correctly. Sound ou sounds something like at In russian language.

Make a sound r throat. French sound r, for example, in the word quatre, is a guttural sound similar to the sound X. To achieve this sound, while pronouncing the letter, press the tip of your tongue on the back of the lower part of your teeth.

• Try practicing by simply saying "ra-ra-ra" or using a French word as an example ronronner, which means “to purr.”

Memorize pronunciation without looking at the words. Some numbers, such as "six", are written the same in both French and English. If you already speak English, you may have difficulty reading this word in French.

• This remark is especially important for words zero And six, which look the same as the English versions. However, this also applies to other words that are similar in both languages. For example, if you saw the word deux, you can pronounce it in the English manner: "ducks".
• To practice, make special cards on which only the letters are written, and not the word itself.

Watch videos in French on the Internet. Films and videos in the original will help you become more familiar with the sound of the language. You don't even have to look at the image itself. You can just close your eyes and listen.

• It may also be helpful to listen to French music, especially slow songs, to hear the syllables clearly.
• Don't worry if you don't understand the words at this stage. Just listen to the pronunciation without trying to translate what is said.

The numbers in French sound very melodic and are somewhat similar to the numbers of other European countries: Spain, Italy and England. But at the same time, for example, there are significant differences in the sound of the numbers “four” and “five”. Especially five and fifteen are difficult to remember for Russian children who are starting to learn French numerals, and cumbersome numerals after eighty plunge them into complete bewilderment.

French numbers from 1 to 20: transcription in Russian

Numbers in French are divided into simple and complex, consisting of one word and several.

	Troyes		sober
	quadr		hard labor
	senk		kanz
			dis-set
			diz-whit
			des-neuve

From the table above it can be seen that, starting with the number seventeen, the numbers take a double form, consisting of the designation of tens and units in the number. This feature of the account applies to all numbers.

Moreover, in the numbers “twenty-one”, “thirty-one” and so on, between the number denoting ten and one, a conjunction is added for consonance et(e), which does not apply to subsequent numbers.

Features of the French numeral system

In the language of romance and love, counting does not lend itself to any logical direction and sometimes sounds like an absurdity in comparison with Russian numerals: nineteen, when translated into our usual language, sounds like “ten and nine”, thirty-seven like “thirty and seven”, that is, tens are voiced and units separately.

The numbers “five” and “fifteen,” despite the common five, sound completely different: “senk” and “kanz,” which creates a significant problem when memorizing. Among French teachers teaching Russians, there is even an unspoken rule that no one remembers fifteen even on the tenth attempt.

Numbers after seventy sound extremely unusual: in order to pronounce seventy-five, you must say “sixty and fifteen”: soixante-quinze ( Suasant Kanz), and to pronounce the number seventy-eight: “sixty-ten-eight” (soixante-dix-huit - suasant-dis-uit). This creates a certain confusion when memorizing, and only by delving into the peculiarities of French counting can one understand this unusual principle of calculation.

Four by twenty

This unusual method is used to express the number eighty (quatre-vingts - Quatre Van) and then all subsequent numbers up to one hundred are based on this principle:

• eighty-two: four times twenty and two;
• ninety: four times twenty and ten;
• ninety-two: four times twenty and twelve ( Quatre Van Doose);
• ninety eight: Quatre-van-dis-neuf.

The French owe such an unusual counting system to the Celts and Normans, who had a great influence on the formation of the language in ancient times: trade transactions were carried out frequently and everywhere, and twenty-digit counting was very useful in long-term accounting calculations. By the way, the Aztecs and Mayans, famous for their powerful civilization and wisdom, also used the twenty-digit counting system.

Numbers over one hundred

After a hundred (cent - san) and two hundred (deux cents - de san- two times a hundred) everything becomes even more interesting, because with the pronunciation of French numbers that are several words long, you will have to work hard to make them sound natural and relaxed. For example: two hundred ninety-seven would sound like de-san-quatre-van-dis-set and 1999 - yon-mille-neuf-quatre-van-dis-nave. TO You also need to bring the specifics of constructing French numerals to the point of automatism in order to pronounce this without thinking!

Teachers recommend that during the day, on a bus or in a traffic jam, or while walking around the city, you should say out loud (or silently) in French the numbers of houses, cars - any numbers that catch your eye. This will make it possible to quickly master this complex 20-digit counting system and freely navigate the unusual world of French numerals.

§ 1 French numerals from 1 to 100

Knowing what numbers are called in French is just as important as knowing words like bonjour, merci, s’il te plaît, au revoir. Numbers or numerals surround us everywhere. Phone numbers, car numbers, television channels, textbook pages have numbers everywhere. Cash equivalents, ages, dates, times all consist of numbers. In this lesson we will get acquainted with the French numerals from 1 to 20 and learn what tens up to one hundred are called. And the little girl Nina will help us get acquainted with the French numerals from 1 to 20, who does exercises while counting, is capricious, runs, climbs on objects and is very happy with everything. Here's a poem.

Un, deux, trois,

Un petite Nina.

Quatre, cinq, six,

Fait l'exercice.

Sept, huit, neuf, dix.

Elle a une caprice.

Onze, douze, treize,

Elle court à l'aise.

Quatorze, quinze, seize,

Elle monte sur la chaise.

Dix-sept, dix-huit, dix-neuf, vingt.

Nina est très contente.

Please note that from 1 to 16, each French numeral has its own name, and the numerals 17, 18, and 19 are compound, that is, 17 consists of the digits 10 + 7, resulting in dix-sept, 18 consists of 10 + 8 dix- huit, 19 is 10 + 9 in French dix-neuf. Now read the poem again, but just replace the letter designations of the numbers with the numbers themselves.

Knowing well the names of the numbers from 1 to 20 in French is very important. After all, they regularly appear in other French numerals. You can easily verify this by becoming familiar with the French names for tens.

So, for example, from 10 to 60, all French tens have their own name:

If you want to say, for example, the number 33, you should go to 30 + 3 and say trente-trois, 46 = 40 + 6 quarante-six.

Please note that only numbers are called, the actions themselves remain in the mind.

From 70 to 99, French numerals have compound names.

Thus, the number 70 consists of the numerals 60+10 and is pronounced soixante-dix. Next, for example, if you want to say the number 73, you will have to use your knowledge of arithmetic and first compose the example 73 = 60 + 13 in French soixante-treize. The number 80 consists of the numerals 4 · 20 quatre vingts, which are multiplied, and all subsequent units are added. So, to say the number 85 you need to make the following example 85=4 · 20+5 in French quatre-vingt-cinq.

Please note that only numbers are spoken out loud in French, all actions remain in the mind. One of the most difficult numbers to remember and perceive is 90, which consists of the numbers 4 · 20 + 10 and is pronounced quatre-vingt-dix. 95 in French is quatre-vingt-quinze, and, for example, 99 quatre-vingt-dix-neuf. The ninth ten numerals are closed by the number 100 in French, as short as in Russian - cent. 200 deux cents, with an s at the end, 300 trois cents, and so on.

§ 2 Indication and definition of time in French

As you can see, French numerals will require you to have a good knowledge of arithmetic, as well as excellent knowledge of French numbers from 1 to 20. Knowledge of numbers from 1 to 20 will also be required to become familiar with the French notation of time, which will be discussed further.

Quelle heureest-il? You probably guessed it

What time is it?

Literally, the French question is translated as -What time is it now? When the French answer a question like this, or simply want to say what time it is, they always begin their answer with Il est….

For example, Il est 3 heures. It's 3 o'clock now. Three o'clock in the afternoon is usually designated as Il est 15 heures. It's 15 o'clock now. Although you can also find the designation Il est 3 heuresde l’après-midi. It's three o'clock now.

The feminine word for "hour" in French is une heure. Therefore - It's one o'clock - the French will say Il estuneheure.

In all other cases, an unreadable letter s will be added to the word “heure” “hour” at the end of the word, which denotes the plural person.

When it is noon on the clock, that is, exactly 12 noon, the French say Il estmidi. It is noon. The prefix mi - means half. When midnight comes, the French say Il estminuit. It's midnight. Mi - half, nuit - night.

When the clock shows half of an hour, in Russian we say, for example, Half past five. The French will say Il est 4 heureset demie. It's 4:30 now.

You can often hear the expression, for example, Quarter past nine, that is, 8.15.

The French word for quarter is le quart. And at quarter past nine the French will say

Il est 8 heures etquart. It's 8 o'clock and a quarter now.

Please note that in such phrases the word quart is used without an article. But if the French want to say, for example, It is now a quarter to nine, they will say Il est 9 heuresmoins lequart. The word quarter is already used with an article. That is, if you want to say how many hours and a quarter you say et quart, how many hours without a quarter moins le quart. Il est 10 et quart.

It's quarter past ten. Il est 4 heures moins le quart. It's a quarter to 4 now.

The easiest way is with minutes.

For example, It’s 3:20 a.m. the French will say Il est 3 heures 20. Or Now it’s five to 10, the French will say Il est 10 heuresmoins 5.

Please note that in the French version the word minutes are not pronounced, only numbers.

Of course, the easiest way is to simply call time with minutes, without using words such as half, quarter, quarter to quarter. Most likely, you will be understood. However, in order to enrich your vocabulary and understand the texts of the textbook and modern French speech, I advise you to remember these nuances, and also learn well the French names of numbers from 1 to 20, the names of tens, and do not forget about French arithmetic of numbers.

List of used literature:

1. French. A large reference book for schoolchildren and those entering universities / E.V. Ageeva, L.M. Belyaeva, V.G. Vladimirova et al.-M.: Bustard, 2005.-349, p.- (Large reference books for schoolchildren and applicants to universities.)
2. Le petit Larousse illustré/HER2000
3. E. M. Beregovskaya, M. Toussaint. Blue bird. A teacher's book for the French language textbook for grade 5 in general education institutions.
4. Gak, V.G. new French-Russian dictionary / V.G. Gak, K.A. Ganshina.- 10th ed., stereotype. –M.: Rus.yaz.-Media, 2005.- XVI, 1160, p.
5. E. M. Beregovskaya. Blue bird. French. 5th grade. Textbook for general education institutions.

Images used:

Friends, if you are learning French, if you are still new to this matter, then in addition to the lexical basics that you are learning, you also need to learn numbers in French.

If you know numbers, counting to 10 in French, then this is a big plus for a beginner in the language. If you know numbers in French, your advantage is that you can say the number, the date of the day, give the phone number, give the flight or bus number, give the taxi number.

Knowing numbers and numbers will be very useful to you when traveling or on a business trip. You can always find out the time, flight number, hotel address or price.

So, friends, since numbers only involve counting to ten, you can easily master them in French. In front of you is a small tablet with French numbers and their pronunciation in Russian transcription:

0 - zero	zero	zero'
1 - one, one	un,une	en, yun
2 - two, two	deux	du
3 - three	trois	trois'
4 - four	quatre	quadr
5 - five	cinq	senk
6 - six	six	sis
7 - seven	sept	seth
8 - eight	huit	yui't
9 - nine	neuf	nave
10 - ten	dix	dis

If you are learning numbers with your child...

To quickly and easily learn counting to ten in French, simply repeat the numbers in order several times. In a few minutes you will notice how you already know them by heart. Practice a few more times to polish the score so that it, so to speak, “bounces off your teeth.”

Friends, if you are learning French with your child, then knowing how to count to 10 is a must!

You can learn to count in French on your fingers!

Repeat numbers up to 10 several times every day until the child can count fluently and without hesitation. To make it easy and fun for your baby, support him - repeat the numbers in chorus with him. You can recite numbers up to 10 to the tune of a song.

On colored pieces of paper, draw funny people or objects according to the number of numbers, from one to ten. Repeat the count while showing your child these pictures.

In addition, counting rhymes about numbers will help you, with the help of which learning to count to ten is even more interesting:

Une, deux, trois:
Soldat de chocolat.
Quatre, cinq, six:
Le roi n'a pas de chemise.
Sept, huit, neuf:
Tu es un gros boeuf.

Combien faut-il de pommes de terre
Pour faire la soupe à ma grand-mère?
Huit: une, deux, trois, quatre,
cinq, six, sept, huit.

Un, deux, trois petites fleurs.
Quatre, sinq, six petites fleurs.
Sept, huit, neuf petites fleurs.
Dix petites fleurs!