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.
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David Issokson is a lifelong language enthusiast. His head is swimming with words and sounds as he speaks over six languages. Of all the languages he speaks, he's the most passionate about French! David has helped hundreds of students to improve their French in his private online lessons. When procrastinating working on his site, FrenchLearner.com, David enjoys his time skiing and hiking in Teton Valley, Idaho.
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Bonjour! My name is David Issokson. I'm based in Victor, Idaho (near Jackson, Wyoming) and have helped hundreds of students to learn French online since 2013.
