Numbers & Age
French Basic Conversation 1
Chapter 3 · Numbers, Age & Contact Details
🔢 Numbers, Age & Contact Details — Les nombres, l'âge et les coordonnées
This chapter has three short parts so the numbers stay manageable: Part 1 counts from 0 to 20; Part 2 builds the tens (including French's famous "four-twenties") and lets you say your age; Part 3 covers phone numbers and email addresses. Read the French aloud with the pronunciation line each time.
Part 1 · Numbers 0–20 — Les nombres de zéro à vingt
0 zérozay-ROH
1 un / uneẽ / ün
2 deuxduh
3 troistrwah
4 quatreKAH-truh
5 cinqsẽk
6 sixsees
7 septset
8 huitweet
9 neufnuf
10 dixdees
11 onzeõz
12 douzedooz
13 treizetrez
14 quatorzekah-TORZ
15 quinzekẽz
16 seizesez
17 dix-septdee-SET
18 dix-huitdee-ZWEET
19 dix-neufdeez-NUF
20 vingtvẽ
Number Patterns to Notice
From 17 to 19 French simply says "ten-seven, ten-eight, ten-nine" (dix-sept, dix-huit, dix-neuf); 11 to 16 are separate words, each ending in -ze. Un is "one" for masculine things (un ami) and une for feminine ones (une amie). Finally, watch the final consonants of cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix: said alone, you hear the last sound (sees, set, weet, nuf, dees), but before a word starting with a consonant it often disappears (six personnes is "see pair-SON"). Before a vowel sound it links on: dix ans is "dee-ZÃ". Follow the pronunciation lines and your ear will pick this up.
① Counting Together — Comptons !
A:
Comptons jusqu'à dix !
kõ-TÕ zhüs-kah DEES
Let's count to ten!
B:
Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix !
ẽ, duh, trwah, KAH-truh, sẽk, sees, set, weet, nuf, dees
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten!
A:
Et après dix ?
ay ah-PRAY DEES
And after ten?
B:
Onze, douze, treize, quatorze, quinze, seize !
õz, dooz, trez, kah-TORZ, kẽz, sez
Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen!
② Which Number? — Quel numéro ?
A:
Excusez-moi, quel bus va au centre-ville ?
ek-skü-zay-MWAH, kel BÜS vah oh sã-truh-VEEL
Excuse me, which bus goes to the town centre?
B:
Le numéro quinze.
luh nü-may-ROH KẼZ
Number fifteen.
A:
Le quinze ou le cinquante ?
luh KẼZ oo luh sẽ-KÃT
Fifteen or fifty?
B:
Le quinze, Madame. Quinze, un-cinq.
luh KẼZ, mah-DAHM. kẽz, ẽ-SẼK
Fifteen, madam. Fifteen: one-five.
Part 2 · The Tens & Your Age — Les dizaines et l'âge
| Number | French | Say it | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | vingt | vẽ | the t is silent, except in 21–29 |
| 30 | trente | trãt | |
| 40 | quarante | kah-RÃT | |
| 50 | cinquante | sẽ-KÃT | |
| 60 | soixante | swah-SÃT | the x says "s" |
| 70 | soixante-dix | swah-sãt-DEES | "sixty-ten" |
| 80 | quatre-vingts | kah-truh-VẼ | "four-twenties" |
| 90 | quatre-vingt-dix | kah-truh-vẽ-DEES | "four-twenty-ten" |
| 100 | cent | sã | |
| 1,000 | mille | meel | never takes an -s |
Numbers 21–99 — the "building blocks"
| Number | French | Say it | How it's built |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | vingt et un | vẽ-tay-ẼN | 20 et 1 (the "and" appears with 21, 31, 41, 51, 61 and 71) |
| 22 | vingt-deux | vẽt-DUH | 20 + 2, joined by a hyphen |
| 35 | trente-cinq | trãt-SẼK | 30 + 5 |
| 47 | quarante-sept | kah-rãt-SET | 40 + 7 |
| 68 | soixante-huit | swah-sãt-WEET | 60 + 8 |
| 71 | soixante et onze | swah-sãt-ay-ÕZ | 60 + 11 |
| 77 | soixante-dix-sept | swah-sãt-dee-SET | 60 + 17 |
| 81 | quatre-vingt-un | kah-truh-vẽ-ẼN | 4 × 20 + 1 (no et here, and vingt loses its -s) |
| 92 | quatre-vingt-douze | kah-truh-vẽ-DOOZ | 4 × 20 + 12 |
| 99 | quatre-vingt-dix-neuf | kah-truh-vẽ-deez-NUF | 4 × 20 + 19 |
Four-Twenties and Sixty-Tens — It Is Logical, Really
Up to 69 French counts just as English does. From 70 it switches to a base-20 style that survives from older French: 70 is "sixty-ten" (soixante-dix), 80 is "four twenties" (quatre-vingts), and 90 is "four-twenty-ten". It sounds like a puzzle at first, but once you do the sum it always works, and every French child learns it, so you're in good company. Belgians and many Swiss speakers have a tidier system with septante (70) and nonante (90), and you'll be understood in France if you use them, though people may smile at the accent.
③ Asking a Friend's Age — Tu as quel âge ?
A:
Tu as quel âge, Léa ?
tü ah kel AHZH, lay-AH
How old are you, Léa?
B:
Devine !
duh-VEEN
Guess!
A:
Vingt-cinq ans ?
vẽt-sẽ-KÃ
Twenty-five?
B:
Presque ! J'ai vingt-sept ans. Et toi ?
PRES-kuh! zhay vẽt-SET-ã. ay TWAH
Almost! I'm twenty-seven. And you?
A:
J'ai trente et un ans.
zhay trãt-ay-ẽ-NÃ
I'm thirty-one.
④ A Registration Form (formal) — Quel âge avez-vous ?
A:
Votre nom, s'il vous plaît ?
VOH-truh NÕ, seel voo PLAY
Your surname, please?
B:
Moreau. Paul Moreau.
moh-ROH. POHL moh-ROH
Moreau. Paul Moreau.
A:
Quel âge avez-vous, Monsieur Moreau ?
kel AHZH ah-vay-VOO, muh-SYUH moh-ROH
How old are you, Mr Moreau?
B:
J'ai quarante-six ans.
zhay kah-rãt-see-ZÃ
I'm forty-six.
A:
Merci, c'est noté.
mair-SEE, say noh-TAY
Thank you, noted.
The verb "avoir" (to have) — French people have an age
| Who | avoir (to have) | Say it | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | j'ai | zhay | J'ai vingt ans. |
| tu | tu as | tü ah | Tu as quel âge ? |
| il / elle / on | il / elle / on a | eel ah / el ah / õ-NAH | Elle a trente ans. |
| nous | nous avons | noo-zah-VÕ | Nous avons le même âge. |
| vous | vous avez | voo-zah-VAY | Vous avez quel âge ? |
| ils / elles | ils / elles ont | eel-ZÕ | Ils ont dix ans. |
Real French Tip — Age Uses "Avoir", Not "Être"
In English you are thirty; in French you have thirty years: J'ai trente ans, never Je suis trente ans. Always say ans ("years"), even though English drops it. A second tip: with a friend, asking the age is easy, but with an adult you've just met it can feel nosy, especially if you're asking a woman. Wait until you know someone, or let them bring it up. Between young people, Tu as quel âge ? is fine.
Linking Numbers to "ans"
The final consonant of a number often appears before ans: deux ans "duh-ZÃ", trois ans "trwah-ZÃ", six ans "see-ZÃ", dix ans "dee-ZÃ", vingt ans "vẽ-TÃ". It happens automatically if you run the number straight into ans without a pause.
Part 3 · Phone Numbers & Email — Le téléphone et l'adresse e-mail
French phone numbers have ten digits, written and spoken in pairs. A mobile number starts with 06 or 07; landlines start with 01 to 05.
| Written | Spoken, pair by pair | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| 06 12 34 56 78 | zéro six, douze, trente-quatre, cinquante-six, soixante-dix-huit | zay-roh SEES, dooz, trãt-KAH-truh, sẽ-kãt-SEES, swah-sãt-dee-ZWEET |
| 01 45 67 89 00 | zéro un, quarante-cinq, soixante-sept, quatre-vingt-neuf, zéro zéro | zay-roh-ẼN, kah-rãt-SẼK, swah-sãt-SET, kah-truh-vẽ-NUF, zay-roh-zay-ROH |
How the French Read Out a Phone Number
The French say a phone number in five pairs, as above, with a tiny pause between pairs. Reading digit by digit sounds odd. If you need to hear a number again, ask Pouvez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ? or Encore une fois, s'il vous plaît. Calling from abroad? France's country code is +33, and you drop the first 0: 06 12 34 56 78 becomes +33 6 12 34 56 78.
Saying an email address — l'adresse e-mail
| Symbol | French | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| @ | arobase | ah-roh-BAHZ |
| . (dot) | point | pwẽ |
| - (hyphen) | tiret | tee-RAY |
| _ (underscore) | tiret du bas | tee-ray dü BAH |
| .com / .fr | point com / point f-r | pwẽ KOM / pwẽ eff-AIR |
So sophie.lambert@gmail.com is read: sophie point lambert arobase gmail point com ("so-FEE pwẽ lã-BAIR ah-roh-BAHZ gee-MAYL pwẽ KOM"). If the name isn't a common word, spell it with the letters from Chapter 2.
⑤ Swapping Numbers — Ton numéro de téléphone
A:
Tu as un portable ? C'est quoi, ton numéro ?
tü ah ẽ por-TAH-bluh? say KWAH, tõ nü-may-ROH
Do you have a mobile? What's your number?
B:
Zéro six, douze, trente-quatre, cinquante-six, soixante-dix-huit.
zay-roh SEES, dooz, trãt-KAH-truh, sẽ-kãt-SEES, swah-sãt-dee-ZWEET
06 12 34 56 78.
A:
Je répète : zéro six, douze, trente-quatre…
zhuh ray-PET: zay-roh SEES, dooz, trãt-KAH-truh
I'll repeat: 06 12 34 …
B:
C'est ça ! Appelle-moi demain.
say SAH! ah-pel-MWAH duh-MẼ
That's right! Call me tomorrow.
⑥ Giving an Email (formal) — Votre adresse e-mail
A:
Quelle est votre adresse e-mail, Madame ?
kel ay VOH-trah-DRES ee-MEL, mah-DAHM
What is your email address, madam?
B:
Sophie point Lambert arobase gmail point com.
so-FEE pwẽ lã-BAIR ah-roh-BAHZ gee-MAYL pwẽ KOM
sophie.lambert@gmail.com
A:
Pouvez-vous épeler « Lambert », s'il vous plaît ?
poo-vay-voo ay-puh-LAY lã-BAIR, seel voo PLAY
Could you spell "Lambert", please?
B:
L-A-M-B-E-R-T.
ell – ah – emm – bay – uh – air – tay
L-A-M-B-E-R-T.
A:
Merci beaucoup.
mair-SEE boh-KOO
Thank you very much.
📖 Vocabulary — Vocabulaire
20 key words and phrases from this chapter. Nouns are shown with le (masculine) or la (feminine); before a vowel both become l', so the gender is marked in the Note column.
| # | French | Say it | English | Type | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | le chiffre | SHEE-fruh | digit, figure | noun, m. | 0–9 |
| 2 | le nombre | NÕ-bruh | number (amount) | noun, m. | "a large number of" |
| 3 | le numéro | nü-may-ROH | number (identifier) | noun, m. | phone, bus, house |
| 4 | compter | kõ-TAY | to count | verb | the p is silent |
| 5 | avoir | ah-VWAHR | to have | verb | j'ai, tu as, il a |
| 6 | l'âge | AHZH | age | noun, m. | Quel âge ? |
| 7 | un an | ẽ-NÃ | a year | noun, m. | plural: ans, always used for age |
| 8 | le téléphone | tay-lay-FON | telephone | noun, m. | le numéro de téléphone |
| 9 | le portable | por-TAH-bluh | mobile phone | noun, m. | also an adjective, "portable" |
| 10 | l'adresse e-mail | ah-DRES ee-MEL | email address | noun, f. | often just "le mail" |
| 11 | l'arobase | ah-roh-BAHZ | the @ sign | noun, f. | "arobase" |
| 12 | le point | pwẽ | dot, full stop | noun, m. | in an email address |
| 13 | le tiret | tee-RAY | hyphen, dash | noun, m. | Jean-Pierre: "tiret" |
| 14 | répéter | ray-pay-TAY | to repeat | verb | Pouvez-vous répéter ? |
| 15 | appeler | ah-play-LAY | to call, to phone | verb | s'appeler = to be called |
| 16 | deviner | duh-vee-NAY | to guess | verb | Devine ! / Devinez ! |
| 17 | combien | kõ-BYẼ | how much, how many | word | Combien ça coûte ? (Ch. 9) |
| 18 | quel / quelle | kel | which, what | word | m. / f.; same sound |
| 19 | presque | PRES-kuh | almost | adv | "Presque !" |
| 20 | encore | ã-KOR | again, still, more | adv | encore une fois = once more |
Nombre vs. Numéro — Two Words for "Number"
Un nombre is a number as a quantity or in maths (un grand nombre de personnes, "a large number of people"). Un numéro is a number that identifies something: a phone number, a bus number, a house number. When you want a phone number, always ask for the numéro de téléphone.
Quick Grammar Note — "Quel" Changes Its Spelling
Quel ("which, what") agrees with the noun that follows: quel âge (m.), quelle adresse (f.), quels numéros (m. pl.), quelles lettres (f. pl.). All four sound the same, "kel", so it only matters when you write.
✍️ Try It Yourself — Exercices
Say each answer out loud first, then click to check.
1. Say how old you are (use your own age, for example 25).
Show answer
J'ai vingt-cinq ans. (Use avoir, not être.)
2. Say 71 and 94 in French.
Show answer
71 = soixante et onze (60 + 11). 94 = quatre-vingt-quatorze (4 × 20 + 14).
3. Read out this mobile number: 07 45 82 19 60.
Show answer
Zéro sept, quarante-cinq, quatre-vingt-deux, dix-neuf, soixante.
4. Ask a friend how old they are, then ask a colleague you don't know well (formally).
Show answer
Friend: Tu as quel âge ? Formal: Quel âge avez-vous ? (or, more tactfully, don't ask at all unless you need to!)
5. Read aloud the email address ben.roux@mail.fr.
Show answer
Ben point roux arobase mail point f-r. (Pronounced: ben pwẽ ROO ah-roh-BAHZ mayl pwẽ eff-AIR.)
6. What is wrong with Je suis trente ans, and how do you fix it?
Show answer
French uses avoir (to have) for age, not être. Correct: J'ai trente ans.
Coming Up in Chapter 4
You can now count, give your age, and share your phone number and email. Next up: where you're from: countries, nationalities, and saying Je viens de… and Je suis… with the right masculine or feminine form.