Numbers, Dates & Time in French
When do we use numbers in French?
Numbers come up all the time in French – when you’re shopping, telling the time, talking about dates or giving quantities. Once you know the basics, you’ll be able to handle lots of everyday situations more easily.
- Examples:
- 500 g de farine500g of flour
- le 3 décembre 1996the 3rd of December 1996
- douze heures trente-quatretwelve thirty-four
You’ll find explanations about numbers, dates and time below. Follow the links to learn more about each topic in more detail and put your knowledge to the test in the practice exercises.
Contents
Cardinal numbers
Cardinal numbers tell us how many people or things there are (e.g. one, two, three, etc.). We use them to express quantities, do calculations and much more.
- Examples:
- 7 – sept
- 22 – vingt-deux
- 150 – cent-cinquante
Cardinal numbers are commonly grouped into tens, hundreds, thousands and millions.
- Examples:
- Une dizaine d’œufs.A dozen eggs.
- Des centaines de manifestants.Hundreds of demonstrators.
- Il a gagné des millions d’euros.He won millions of euros.
Go to our dedicated page about cardinal numbers, where you’ll find all the rules you need to write and say them correctly. There are also plenty of exercises to practise what you’ve learnt.
Ordinal numbers
Ordinal numbers show the position of something in a sequence (e.g. first, second, third, etc.).
- Examples:
- 1er – premier1st – first
- 2ème – deuxième2nd – second
- 10ème – dixième10th – tenth
Be careful: French doesn’t always use ordinal numbers in the same places as English.
- Examples:
- le 3 décembrethe 3rd of December
- In dates, French usually uses a cardinal number after le, not an ordinal number. So we say le trois décembre, not le troisième décembre.
- Louis XIV
- With kings’ names and similar titles, French uses the cardinal form. So we say Louis quatorze, not Louis quatorzième.
Learn more about ordinal numbers, including the exceptions, on our dedicated page with lots of practice exercises.
Fractions
Fractions show parts of a whole. You’ll often see them in maths, recipes and everyday expressions.
- Examples:
- un demia half
- un tiersa third
- un quarta quarter
Fractions are also common when talking about quantities.
- Examples:
- deux heures et demietwo and a half hours
- un demi-kilo de viandehalf a kilo of meat
Learn more about fractions on our dedicated page and put your knowledge to the test with the practice exercises.
Dates, days & months
French dates follow a simple pattern.
-
For the first day of the month, we use the ordinal number premier.
- Example:
- le premier avrilthe first of April
-
For all other days, we use a cardinal number.
- Examples:
- le deux maithe second of May
- le cinq septembrethe fifth of September
- le douze novembrethe twelfth of November
Visit our dedicated page on dates, days & months to learn more about them. You’ll also find plenty of practice exercises at the bottom of the page.
Telling the time
French has different ways of telling the time, depending on the situation. In formal situations, French often uses the 24-hour clock. In everyday conversation, people use the 12-hour clock.
- Examples:
- L’avion décollera à dix-huit heures trente-cinq. (formal)The plane will take off at eighteen thirty-five.
- Venez chez moi ce soir vers sept heures et demi. (informal)Come to my place this evening around half past seven.
On our dedicated page about telling the time, you’ll learn how to say the time in both formal and informal French. There are also lots of practice exercises to put your knowledge to the test.
Learn more about numbers, dates and time
Click on the different topics below to learn more. Read the detailed explanations then test your knowledge with the free exercises.
