les nombres approximatifs
Approximate numbers are used to describe ‘about’ a certain amount of something. English equivalents are ‘scores of’, meaning ‘tens of’ or dozens of , meaning ‘about twelve of’. French has more approximate numbers than English. They’re mostly formed by adding -aine to the cardinal number and omitting the final -e.
| ENGLISH | FRENCH | NOTES |
| about eight | une huitaine | 8 days = about 1 week |
| about ten | une dizaine | -x on dix becomes a -z |
| about fifteen | une quinzaine | -e on quinze dropped; means 2 weeks |
| about twenty | une vingtaine | |
| about thirty | une trentaine | -e on trente dropped |
| about forty | une quarantaine | -e on quarante dropped |
| about fifty | une cinquantaine | -e on cinquante dropped |
| about sixty | une soixantaine | -e on soixante droppped |
| about a hundred | une centaine | |
| about a thousand | un millier |
Notes and explanations
All of the above approximate numbers are feminine with the exception of un millier. The structure for describing an approximate amount of something is un + approximate number + de + noun. Here are some examples:
- Je connais un dixaine de personnes. I know about people.
- Il y a une trentaine d’étutiants dans la salle. There are about 30 students in the room.
- J’ai visité Paris une trentaine de fois. I visited Paris about thirty times.
In the plural form, un becomes des. Examples:
- Il y a des milliers d’étoiles dans le ciel. There are thousands of stars in the sky.
- Il y a des centaines de touristes sur la plage. There are hundreds of tourists on the beach.
Interestingly, the French use des dizaines de where English speakers would say ‘dozens of’:
- Il y a des dizaines de chevaux dans le pré. There are dozens of horses in the field.
- Je connais une dizaine de personnes à Paris. I know about a dozen people in Paris.
Related vocabulary lessons:
Reference:
French vocabulary | Lessons by David Issokson
