Cardinal numbers in French

In French learning the cardinal and ordinal numbers is, for sure, one of the first and most important steps of the process. In the first part of this lesson you will learn the cardinal numbers from 1-100, and in the second one you will learn more about the complex numbers such as Thousands and Millions. So let's get to work! 

Cardinal numbers from 1 to 20

In the formation of the numbers in French is important to notice that complex numbers, which are formed of tens and units in spelling, are joined with a hyphen sign ( - ), ex. number 17 is written dix-sept.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

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Cardinal numbers from 21 to 100

Regarding French cardinal numbers from 1 - 100, the numbers from 20 to 69 follow the regular form which consists of the units from 1 to 9, for ex. number 62 is formed of the number 60 and 2, soixante-deux in French. Also is important to remember that the form with number 1 includes the conjunction et ('and') which is inserted between tens and units, ex.  31 = trente et un.

 Attention!

More complex structure have the numbers from 70 to 100.  

• Number 70 consists of the number sixty and ten, 70 = 60 + 10 (soixante-dix), 71 = 60 + 11 ( soixante et onze)
• Number 80 consists of the number 4 multiplied by 20, 80 = 4 x 20 (quatre-vingts), 81= 4 x 20 + 1 (quatre-vingt-un)
• Number 90 consists of the number 4 multiplied by 20 plus tens, 90 = 4 x 20 +10 (quatre-vingt-dix), 90 = 4 x 20 + 11 (quatre-vingt-onze)

Hundreds in French

In French grammar, Hundreds and Twenties is added an -s if they are not followed by another Numeral Adjective, ex. number 480 is written 'quatre cent quatre-vingts', there is ending - s, but if the number is followed by another Numeral Adjective in that case 'vingt' (twenty) remains invariable, ex. 480 is written quatre cent quatre-vingt-deux.

 Attention!

The number 1 (un) remains invariable in writing when it's used alone, but an -e is added if the gender of the noun which follows the number is in feminine.

• Twenty-one houses. - Vingt et une maisons.(n.f.)
• Twenty-one book. - Vingt et un livres. (n.m.)

Thousands and Millions

Thousands never add an -s in plural and they don't have an indefinite article, ex. 1000 = mille (un mille), also in French there is never conjunction et (and) between thousands and the hundreds/tens/units, ex. 1003 is mille trois (wrong: mille et trois). One more rule to remember is that Million takes an -s in plural and the same grammar rules are valid for large numbers such as billion and trillion.