Why is French numbers weird?

In French too, we see this, up until the seventies when, as we've said, things go weird. Then in comes the "vigesimal system" which used the base 20, hence quatre-vingt-quatre (84). This is supposedly as they used their feet as well as their hands to count. Fingers and toes included, you get twenty.

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Similarly, it is asked, why are French numbers so weird?

In French too, we see this, up until the seventies when, as we've said, things go weird. Then in comes the "vigesimal system" which used the base 20, hence quatre-vingt-quatre (84). This is supposedly as they used their feet as well as their hands to count. Fingers and toes included, you get twenty.

One may also ask, does French have a word for 80? Likewise, there's no word for “eighty” in standard French. * The French say quatre-vingts, literally four-twenties. ** So 81 is quatre-vingt-un (four-twenty-one), 82 is quatre-vingt-deux (four-twenty-two), etc.

Also, why doesn't the French have a 70?

Actually, the French system was designed regularly, i.e. with "septante" for 70, "octante" for 80 and "nonante" for 90. But this system was not accepted at the time (roughly the 16th century), because people were used to the old system ("quatre-vingt", etc.).

How do the French count to 100?

Numbers 1-100 in French Learning the numbers to 100 in French can be done systematically. The other numbers are joined by a hyphen, like in English. Twenty-two is vingt-deux, thirty-four is trente-quatre, and sixty-seven is soixante-sept.

Related Question Answers

What do French numbers look like?

French numbers are 8 digits, prefixed by a single digit area code, and a 0 if calling from France, making it 10 digits. While American phone numbers are grouped 3–3–4 (123–456–7890): we read all 10 numbers as single digits, making pauses when a group ends (one two three …. four five six … seven eight nine zero).

What are the numbers 1 to 20 in French?

French Numbers 1 through 20 Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 17, 2012 in Vocabulary

0	zéro	[zay-ro]
17	dix-sept	[dee-set]
18	dix-huit	[dees-weet]
19	dix-neuf	[dees-nurf]
20	vingt	[van]

How many words do you need to be fluent in French?

Therefore, to be “proficient” in French, you should have around 5,000 words in your active vocabulary.

How do you say numbers in French?

How to pronounce French numbers

1. Zéro - 0.
2. Un - 1.
3. Deux - 2.
4. Trois - 3.
5. Quatre - 4.
6. Cinq - 5.
7. Six - 6.
8. Sept - 7.

How do you read French numbers?

Just swap vingt for one of these numbers instead:

1. trente. quarante. cinquante. soixante.
2. quatre-vingts. quatre-vingt-un.
3. quatre-vingt-dix. quatre-vingt-onze. quatre-vingt-douze.
4. 100. cent. 110. cent-dix. 200. deux cents. 250. deux cent cinquante. 500. cinq cents. 1,000. mille. 2,000. deux mille. 1,000,000. un million.

How do you write French numbers?

French numbers are written using lowercase, unless the first letter starts the sentence. Soixante-dix-neuf-mille-quatre-cent-vingt-huit.

Why is there no word for eighty in French?

So 80, in French is “quatre-vingts” literally means 4 20s where quatre is 4 and vingt is 20 and vingts is its plural meaning 20s (I know, inventive, but this word does exist in French) in other words, 4-20s is like saying 4 X 20 but there is not the word for “multiplied by” within it, just that - (hyphen) Confused?

How do you count to ten in French?

Zéro, un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix.

Are numbers masculine or feminine in French?

Numbers like "1st," "2nd," and "3rd" that is. Premier becomes première if it's feminine. Le premier or la première (the first). The other ordinal numbers don't change genders.

How do you say 80 in Belgian French?

80 = quatre-vingt, Zut! For some reason this is still how you say 80 in Belgian French. 90 = nonante; 91 = nonante et un; 92 = nonante deux, etc.

How do you say the number 40 in French?

French word for forty is quarante - YouTube.

What is the number 50 in French?

French Numbers 41-50

Number	French Spelling	Pronunciation
47	quarante-sept	kuh-rawnt-set
48	quarante-huit	kuh-rawnt-wheet
49	quarante-neuf	kuh-rawnt-nurf
50	cinquante	sank-awnt

What is the number 12 in French?

French Numbers

Number	French Spelling	Pronunciation
10	dix	deese
11	onze	onz
12	douze	dooz
13	treize	trez

How do you say 110 in French?

The Number 110 in French 110 est le cent dixième nombre.

How do you say 1000 in French?

French word for one thousand is mille.

How do you say the numbers 1 30 in French?

1. Un.
2. deux.
3. trois.
4. quatre.
5. cinq.
6. six.
7. sept.
8. huit.

How do you write 22 in French?

So, 22 = vingt-deux, 45 = quarante-cinq etc. If the unit is a 1, then the word et is inserted between tens and units: 21 = vingt et un, 31 = trente et un etc.

How do you tell time in French?

To tell a time on the hour in French, use il est + [number] + heure(s). For example: il est deux heures (it is two o'clock). Note: When it is one o'clock, say: il est une heure (it is one o'clock), using the feminine singular une instead of un because the word heure (hour) is feminine.