Numbers and telling time are fundamental building blocks of any language. In French, they’re especially important as you’ll use them daily for everything from shopping to making plans to catching the train on time! Let’s dive into this essential vocabulary and get you speaking like a local in no time.

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French Numbers

Learning numbers is one of the best places to start in a new language as it unlocks so much functionality for basic communication. Here are the numbers 1-100 in French.
For numbers from 70-99, the French use a vigesimal or base-20 system. So instead of having unique words for 70, 80, and 90, they say “sixty-ten” (soixante-dix) for 70, “four-twenties” (quatre-vingts) for 80, and “four-twenty-ten” (quatre-vingt-dix) for 90.

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Forming Larger Numbers

To form numbers over 100, simply state the number of hundreds followed by the rest of the number:
  • 200 - deux cents
  • 300 - trois cents
For example:
  • 110 - cent dix
  • 350 - trois cent cinquante
  • 1,000 - mille
  • 1,500 - mille cinq cents
Unlike in English, there is no “and” in French numbers. For instance, 201 is “deux cent un”, not “deux cent et un”.

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Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal numbers are used to denote position or rank, like in “first place”, “second chance”, etc. In French, most ordinal numbers are formed by adding to the end of the cardinal number.
The only irregular ordinal number is “premier/première” for “first”. All others follow the regular pattern.

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Telling Time in French

Telling time is another essential skill for navigating everyday life in French. Let’s break it down.

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Asking for the Time

To ask what time it is, you can say:
  • Quelle heure est-il ? (What time is it? - formal)
  • Il est quelle heure ? (What time is it? - informal)
  • Vous avez l’heure ? (Do you have the time?)
Remember, “heure” is always feminine in French, so it’s “quelle heure” and not “quel heure”.

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Telling the Hour

To tell the hour in French, use il est (it is) followed by the number. For 1 o’clock, use une heure instead of un heure.
  • Il est une heure. (It’s 1 o’clock.)
  • Il est deux heures. (It’s 2 o’clock.)
  • Il est trois heures. (It’s 3 o’clock.)

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Telling Minutes After the Hour

For minutes 1-30 after the hour, simply state the number of minutes followed by the hour.
  • Il est deux heures cinq. (It’s 2:05.)
  • Il est deux heures quinze. (It’s 2:15.)
  • Il est deux heures trente. (It’s 2:30.)
For 15 and 30 minutes past the hour, the French commonly use et quart (and a quarter) and et demie (and a half).
  • Il est deux heures et quart. (It’s 2:15.)
  • Il est deux heures et demie. (It’s 2:30.)

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Telling Minutes Before the Hour

For times from 31-59 minutes past the hour, subtract from the next hour using moins (minus). This is similar to how in English we say “a quarter to”, “ten to”, etc.
  • Il est trois heures moins vingt. (It’s 2:40, or 20 to 3.)
  • Il est trois heures moins le quart. (It’s 2:45, or a quarter to 3.)
  • Il est trois heures moins dix. (It’s 2:50, or 10 to 3.)
Be careful with the phrase trois heures moins le quart. While English uses “a quarter”, French uses “the quarter”, so don’t forget the article le.

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Specifying Morning, Afternoon, Evening

To avoid confusion between AM and PM times, add du matin (in the morning), de l’après-midi (in the afternoon), or du soir (in the evening).
  • Il est neuf heures du matin. (It’s 9 AM.)
  • Il est deux heures de l’après-midi. (It’s 2 PM.)
  • Il est huit heures du soir. (It’s 8 PM.)
Midnight and noon have their own terms in French: minuit and midi.
  • Il est midi. (It’s noon.)
  • Il est minuit. (It’s midnight.)
Note that they are both masculine, so it’s midi et demi and not midi et demie.

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The 24-Hour System

In addition to the 12-hour system, the French also commonly use the 24-hour system, especially in written contexts like train schedules. In this system, simply state the hours and minutes without specifying morning or afternoon.
  • 13h00 - treize heures (1 PM)
  • 14h30 - quatorze heures trente (2:30 PM)
  • 20h45 - vingt heures quarante-cinq (8:45 PM)
When reading times aloud using the 24-hour system, the French say the hours as a single number (treize, quatorze, etc.) rather than separating them (un for 1, deux for 2 in 12h35).

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Putting It into Practice

Now that you’ve learned the basics of numbers and telling time, let’s put it into practice with some common scenarios.
Practice telling time throughout your day - what time do you wake up, eat lunch, go to bed? The more you integrate these phrases into your daily life, the more natural they’ll become.

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Numbers in Context

Numbers aren’t just for telling time - they come up in all sorts of everyday situations. Here are a few key areas where you’ll use numbers regularly:

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Prices

When shopping or dining out, you’ll need to understand prices. In French, the currency is the Euro, and prices are typically written with a comma instead of a decimal point.

Prices in French

  • C’est combien ? (How much is it?)
  • Ça coûte 5 euros. (It costs 5 euros.)
  • Le total est de 24,50 euros. (The total is 24.50 euros.)

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Age

Talking about age is another common context for numbers. To ask and give age in French:

Talking About Age

  • Quel âge avez-vous ? (How old are you? - formal)
  • Tu as quel âge ? (How old are you? - informal)
  • J’ai 25 ans. (I’m 25 years old.)
Note that in French, you “have” an age (using the verb avoir) rather than “being” an age.

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Dates

French dates are typically written in the day/month/year format. When saying the date aloud, use the ordinal number for the day.

Dates in French

  • Quelle est la date aujourd’hui ? (What is today’s date?)
  • Aujourd’hui, c’est le 6 juin 2023. (Today is June 6th, 2023.)
  • Je suis né le 2 novembre 1998. (I was born on November 2nd, 1998.)
The only exception to the ordinal rule is the first of the month, which is always le premier (the first).

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Language Learning Tips

Learning numbers and telling time in a new language can be daunting, but here are a few tips to make it stick:
  1. Practice daily: Incorporate numbers into your everyday life. Count your steps, read prices aloud, note the time in French throughout the day.
  2. Use flashcards: Write numbers on one side and their French translations on the other. Quiz yourself regularly.
  3. Listen and repeat: Hear how native speakers pronounce these numbers and phrases, and mimic their intonation. Listening is key!
  4. Make it fun: Play number-based games in French, like Bingo or counting contests. The more engaged you are, the better you’ll remember.

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Conclusion

In this lesson, we covered the basics of French numbers and telling time. We learned:

Key Takeaways

  1. French numbers 1-100 and how to form larger numbers
  2. How to ask for and tell the time in French
  3. Using the 12-hour and 24-hour systems
  4. Numbers in context for prices, age, and dates
  5. Tips for mastering these concepts
Numbers and time are fundamental building blocks that you’ll use every day in your French journey. With practice, they’ll become second nature. In the next section, we’ll build on these skills and delve into the days of the week, months, and seasons. Get ready to fill out your French calendar! À la prochaine !