10 Rules for Writing Numbers and Numerals: English vs. French (2024)

by Susan Saurel

Numbers may just be the most confusing aspect of French language. When you start the course, you love the way the words sound and you can’t wait to learn more. When you get to the numbers, however, you’re faced with a real challenge.

We’re going to list 10 basic rules for writing numbers and numerals. We’ll make comparisons between French and English, so you’ll understand the rules better.

1. The Numbers Are Composed with a Hyphen in Both English and French

This rule was introduced by the French Academy in 1990. Before that, the numbers were not spelled with a hyphen. For example, what was once vingt et un is now vingt-et-un. We use the hyphen in English numerals, too.

2. French Numerals Are Composed with a Conjunction (More Often than In English)

In English, we don’t say twenty-and-one; we simplify it to twenty-one. After 100, we use the conjunction in some cases (one hundred and one or fifteen thousand and sixteen, for example). In French, the conjunction is used from 20 above when we have 1 in the number. You’ll say (and write) vingt-et-un, trente-et-un, soixante-et-un, etc.

3. The English Billion is a French Milliard

What’s one billion in English is un-milliard in French.

What’s trillion in English, however, is un-billion in French. Confused? That’s because continental Europe uses the long-scale system, in comparison to U.S. and England, which use the short-scale system.

4. There’s Some Multiplication in French Numerals. 20 Is the Base

  • 80 – quatre-vingt

If we literally translate this to English, it would be four 20s. It’s strange. However, it’s simple math that you’ll get used to.

5. There’s Some Addition, Too

  • 70 – soixante-dix
  • 90 – quatre-vingt-dix

There’s addition in English language. For example, forty-five means forty+five. We have the same rule in French numbers. However, the addition is also present in the tens. In two of them, to be precise. If we translate soixante-dix, it means sixty+ten; and quatre-vingt-dix means four times twenty plus ten.

6. In French, the currency symbol comes after the number

In English, we’re used to writing the currency symbol before the number. In French, that’s not the case.

  • $8.90 / £8.90 (in English)
  • 8,90 $ / 8,90 € (in French)

7. A Comma Indicates a Decimal in French Numbers

In English, 13,000 reads as thirteen thousand, right? Not in French. In French, that number is equal to 13, since the

numbers after the comma are seen as decimals. Thirteen thousand (treize mille) in French is written as 13 000 or 13000.

8. The Numerals with Single Words Are Similar

There are few numerals that are written by a single word in French: zèro, un, deux, trois, quatre ... and all other numbers until 16 (seize). It’s similar in English, but seventeen, eighteen and nineteen are also single words.

The tens are also single words until 60: vingt, trente, quarante, cinquante, soixante. After that, there’s some math involved, remember?

9. Ème Is the Suffix for Ordinal Numbers

First, second, third, fourth, fifth ... it’s easy after that in English. In French, it’s easier. Ème is the suffix used in most cases:

  • Deux – deuxième
  • Onze – onzième

There’s only one exception: premier (m) or première (f), which means first.

10. If You’re in Belgium or Switzerland, You Won’t Have to Use Math to Count

In Belgium and Switzerland, septante and nonante are the words for 70 and 90, and in Switzerland they also used huitante for 80. What a relief!

There you go. Did we make French words simpler for you?

Information about French | Phrases | Numbers | Family words | Terms of endearment | Idioms | Colours | Time | Weather words | Tongue twisters | Tower of Babel | Articles | Links | French learning materials

About writing

Susan Saurel is a writer at Writix. She loves her job because of knowledge kids can get thanks to her. Currently works as a part-time writer fo Xpert Writers and raises a daughter.

Articles

Writing systems | Language and languages | Language learning | Pronunciation | Learning vocabulary | Language acquisition | Motivation and reasons to learn languages | Arabic | Basque | Celtic languages | Chinese | English | Esperanto | French | German | Greek | Hebrew | Indonesian | Italian | Japanese | Korean | Latin | Portuguese | Russian | Sign Languages | Spanish | Swedish | Other languages | Minority and endangered languages | Constructed languages (conlangs) | Reviews of language courses and books | Language learning apps | Teaching languages | Languages and careers | Being and becoming bilingual | Language and culture | Language development and disorders | Translation and interpreting | Multilingual websites, databases and coding | History | Travel | Food | Other topics | Spoof articles | How to submit an article

[top]

10 Rules for Writing Numbers and Numerals: English vs. French (1)

Why not share this page:

10 Rules for Writing Numbers and Numerals: English vs. French (2)

If you like this site and find it useful, you can support it by making a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or by contributing in other ways. Omniglot is how I make my living.

Note: all links on this site to Amazon.com10 Rules for Writing Numbers and Numerals: English vs. French (4), Amazon.co.uk10 Rules for Writing Numbers and Numerals: English vs. French (5) and Amazon.fr10 Rules for Writing Numbers and Numerals: English vs. French (6) are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission if you click on any of them and buy something. So by clicking on these links you can help to support this site.

Get a 30-day Free Trial of Amazon Prime (UK)

If you're looking for home or car insurance in the UK, why not try Policy Expert?

[top]

10 Rules for Writing Numbers and Numerals: English vs. French (7)

10 Rules for Writing Numbers and Numerals: English vs. French (2024)

FAQs

What are the numbers to 10 in French and English? ›

What are the numbers 0 to 10 in French? Numbers 0 to 10 in French are: zéro, un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf and dix.

What are the rules for writing numbers in English? ›

Spell out numbers nine and below; use numerals for numbers above 10. Avoid starting sentences with numbers; most can be spelled out, but years must appear as numerals, so try to write the sentence a different way. Unless there are minutes to add to the hour, time of day is just one number.

How are the numbers written differently in French? ›

The French write two numbers differently than Anericans do: the number 1 has a little hook on top, which makes it look like a 7. So, to distinguish a 1 from a 7, a line is put through the 7, to look like this: 7.

What are the rules for numbering? ›

The general rule is that only numbers below 10 are written out as words, and all others should stay in the numeral form. But as with all rules, there are always exceptions.

Are French numbers 10 digits? ›

A French phone number typically consists of 10 digits, with the first two digits indicating the geographic area code. For example, the area code for Paris is 01, so a phone number in Paris might be written as 01 23 45 67 89.

Is it 10 or ten in a sentence? ›

A simple rule for using numbers in writing is that small numbers ranging from one to ten (or one to nine, depending on the style guide) should generally be spelled out. Larger numbers (i.e., above ten) are written as numerals.

What is the rule writing numbers under ten? ›

spelling out numbers follows the general rules below: 1. Spell out numbers below 10. Numerals should be used for numbers 10 and above, but numbers nine and below should be spelled out.

Are French numbers the same as English? ›

Numbers in French. Numbers in French should be easy, right? After all, they're written the same: you really just have to memorize 1–19 and then add 1–9 to 20 to make 21, 22, etc.

Why is there no word for 70 in French? ›

Why does the French language use 60-10 instead of 70 (i.e. soixante-dix instead of septante) when counting? The Gauls used a 20-based counting system. A vestige of that system can be seen in the counting scheme in French. Soixante-dix, quatre-vingts, and quatre-vingt-dix are reminders of that ancient system.

How to format French numbers? ›

In France, people (and forms on websites) usually write telephone numbers in pairs, forming a sequence of five double-digit numbers, for example , 01 23 45 67 89.

What is the rule for writing numbers in English? ›

Use numerals for numbers 10 and greater, and spell out numbers one through nine. With either numerals or spelled out numbers, do not include “.

What are the four basic rules of number? ›

The four basic math operations - addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division - can be applied to all integers.

How to write numbers correctly? ›

Rule to Remember. Spell out numbers at the beginning of the sentence, with the exception of years. Numbers that represent years, days of month, pages, chapters, street addresses, route numbers, percentages, temperatures, and telephone numbers should be written as numerals.

What are the 1 to 20 numbers called in French? ›

This is the foundation for all other numbers: un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix, onze, douze, treize, quatorze, quinze. Memorize the numbers for the multiples of ten: vingt, trente, quarante, cinquante, soixante, soixante-dix, quatre-vingt, quatre-vingt-dix.

What are the ordinal numbers 1 10 in French? ›

How to write ordinal numbers in French
1er/1erepremier/premièreonzième
2edeuxièmedouzième
3etroisièmetreizième
4equatrièmequatorzième
5ecinquièmequinzième
5 more rows

Top Articles
Best Legal Insurance In Germany [2024 English Guide]
Residual Method of Valuation for Land - Development Appraisals
Administrative Supplement Program to Add Fluid-based Biomarkers and APOE Genotyping to NINDS ADRD Human Subjects Research Grants
Huggies Size 4 Walgreens
Pr 127 Seat Map
William G. Nolan - Baker Swan Funeral Home
Black Swan Movie Online Free
Old Bahama Bay Quad Folding Wagon
Order Irs Tax Forms Online
Aflac on LinkedIn: Aflac Supplemental Insurance | 22 comments
Nazir Afzal on the BBC: ‘Powerful predators were allowed to behave terribly on an industrial level’
Lkq Pull-A-Part
Pogo Express Recharge
Elgin Il Building Department
FREE Houses! All You Have to Do Is Move Them. - CIRCA Old Houses
Is Holly Warlick Married To Susan Patton
Trinket Of Advanced Weaponry
Apryl Prose Wiki
McDonald's restaurants locator - Netherlands
Tryhard Guide Wordle Solver
How Much Is Cvs Sports Physical
Convert liters to quarts
Harvestella Sprinkler Lvl 2
COUNTRY VOL 1 EICHBAUM COLLECTION (2024) WEB [FLAC] 16BITS 44 1KHZ
Week 8 – Quarter 1 Matatag DLL Daily Lesson Logs | September 16 – 20, 2024 DLL
Erj Phone Number
Disney Cruise Line
Osrs Toby
Marisa Jacques Bio
Logisticare Transportation Provider Login
2011 Traverse Belt Diagram
Maven 5X30 Scope
Wells Fargo Holiday Hours
Dez Juggs
Examination Policies: Finals, Midterms, General
Herdis Eriksson Obituary
Perfect Coffee Shop Recipe Cool Math Games
Plastic Bench Walmart
Jodie Sweetin Breast Reduction
2Nd Chance Apartments In Richmond Va
Congdon Heart And Vascular Center
cGMP vs GMP: What's the Difference? | Ascendia Pharma
Henkels And Mccoy Pay Stub Portal
Bad Moms 123Movies
Metro By T Mobile Sign In
Baroque Violin Shop Cincinnati Oh
Pinellas Fire Active Calls
Lowlifesymptoms Twitter
Wyoming Roads Cameras
Kernersville pastor arrested after police find weapons, body armor and fentanyl in his Las Vegas Hotel room
49 CFR Part 581 -- Bumper Standard
Priority Pass: How to Invite as Many Guests as Possible to Airport Lounges?
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Aracelis Kilback

Last Updated:

Views: 6029

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (64 voted)

Reviews: 87% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Aracelis Kilback

Birthday: 1994-11-22

Address: Apt. 895 30151 Green Plain, Lake Mariela, RI 98141

Phone: +5992291857476

Job: Legal Officer

Hobby: LARPing, role-playing games, Slacklining, Reading, Inline skating, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Dance

Introduction: My name is Aracelis Kilback, I am a nice, gentle, agreeable, joyous, attractive, combative, gifted person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.