Eight is a number. It is 8. You have eight fingers and two thumbs. If you have 7 apples and add 1, you have eight apples.
We use eight to count items. 'There are eight chairs in the room.' It is also used for time, like 'It is eight in the morning.'
In English, eight is a cardinal number. You can use it as a determiner, for example, 'I bought eight books.' It is also used in specific phrases like 'figure eight' to describe shapes.
While eight is straightforward, it appears in several idiomatic expressions. For instance, being 'behind the eight ball' suggests a disadvantageous position. It is essential to recognize these nuances in professional settings.
The numeral eight carries cultural significance in various systems, such as the octal system in computing or the eight-fold path in philosophy. Understanding its usage beyond basic counting is key to advanced fluency.
Etymologically, eight reflects the stability of Germanic linguistic roots. In literary contexts, the number can symbolize infinity (when turned sideways) or completion, depending on the cultural framework being referenced by the author.
eight en 30 secondes
- Eight is the integer after seven.
- It is an even number.
- It is used in many idioms.
- It is a fundamental number in English.
Hey there! Let's talk about the number eight. It is a super important number in our base-ten counting system.
You see eight everywhere, from the legs on a spider to the sides of a stop sign. It represents a specific quantity that sits right between seven and nine.
The word eight has very old roots! It comes from the Proto-Germanic word *ahtōu.
It is related to the Old English eahta and has cousins in many languages, like the German acht and the Dutch acht. It has stayed remarkably similar in sound for thousands of years.
We use eight to count things or tell time. You might say, 'I have eight apples' or 'The meeting is at eight o'clock.'
It is a very neutral word used in both formal academic papers and casual conversations with friends.
1. Behind the eight ball: Meaning to be in a difficult situation. Example: 'He is behind the eight ball with his project deadline.'
2. Figure eight: A shape like an 8. Example: 'The skater traced a figure eight on the ice.'
3. Eight-track mind: Someone who is focused on one thing. Example: 'She has an eight-track mind when it comes to coding.'
4. Eight days a week: A way to say you are very busy. Example: 'I've been working eight days a week lately!'
5. Cloud eight: A variation of cloud nine, though less common. Example: 'She was on cloud eight after the news.'
The word eight is a cardinal number and doesn't change form for plurals. We pronounce it as /eɪt/ in both British and American English.
It rhymes with words like gate, late, and weight. The spelling can be tricky because of the 'gh' combination, which is silent.
Le savais-tu ?
The 'gh' was once pronounced in older versions of the language.
Guide de prononciation
- pronouncing 'gh'
- missing the final t
- confusing with ate
Niveau de difficulté
easy
easy
easy
easy
Quoi apprendre ensuite
Prérequis
Apprends ensuite
Avancé
Grammaire à connaître
Cardinal numbers
eight cats
Time expression
at eight
Compound adjectives
eight-hour shift
Exemples par niveau
I have eight pencils.
I possess 8 writing tools.
Number before noun
The dog has eight puppies.
She is eight years old.
We need eight plates.
There are eight birds.
I see eight stars.
He ate eight cookies.
Count to eight.
The store opens at eight.
I have eight minutes left.
They have eight children.
Can you see the eight cars?
Eight people came to the party.
She bought eight red roses.
The bus arrives at eight.
We walked eight miles.
The octopus has eight tentacles.
The spider has eight legs.
The meeting starts at eight sharp.
He scored eight goals this season.
There are eight planets in our system.
She worked eight hours today.
They have eight different options.
The building has eight floors.
The project is behind the eight ball.
He drew a perfect figure eight.
The cycle repeats every eight days.
She has an eight-point plan.
The team won by eight points.
It was an eight-hour flight.
We need eight more signatures.
The eight-fold path is complex.
The octal system uses eight digits.
He felt behind the eight ball during the negotiation.
The eight-sided polygon is an octagon.
The symphony lasts eight movements.
They formed an eight-person committee.
The eight-year tenure was successful.
She wrote an eight-page report.
The eight-lane highway was busy.
The eight-fold division of the text is structural.
He was behind the eight ball, metaphorically speaking.
The eight-pointed star is a symbol.
The eight-day festival concluded.
The eight-fold path requires discipline.
An eight-fold increase in revenue.
The eight-part series was acclaimed.
Eight is a power of two.
Collocations courantes
Expressions idiomatiques
"behind the eight ball"
in a difficult spot
I am behind the eight ball with my taxes.
casual"eight days a week"
very busy
I've been working eight days a week.
casual"figure eight"
a shape like an 8
She skated a figure eight.
neutral"eight-track mind"
singular focus
He has an eight-track mind.
casual"on cloud eight"
happy
She was on cloud eight.
casual"eight-hour shift"
standard work day
I finished my eight-hour shift.
neutralFacile à confondre
same sound
ate is past tense of eat
I ate eight apples.
similar spelling
eighth is ordinal
He came in eighth.
similar root
eighty is 80
He is eighty.
similar root
eighteen is 18
She is eighteen.
Structures de phrases
There are eight [noun].
There are eight cats.
I have eight [noun].
I have eight pens.
It is eight [time].
It is eight o'clock.
He is eight [years old].
He is eight years old.
The [noun] has eight [parts].
The spider has eight legs.
Famille de mots
Noms
Adjectifs
Apparenté
Comment l'utiliser
10
-
eighty vs eight
→
eight
Confusing 8 with 80.
-
eights
→
eight
Using plural for the number itself.
-
eight o'clock in the morning
→
8 a.m.
Redundancy.
-
eight's
→
eight
Adding apostrophe for no reason.
-
eight-hours
→
eight-hour
Adjective form doesn't take plural.
Astuces
Memory Palace
Visualize 8 spider legs.
Time Telling
Always use 'o'clock' with eight.
Lucky 8
Note that 8 is lucky in Chinese culture.
Adjective Rule
Don't pluralize numbers as adjectives.
Silent GH
Ignore the gh sound.
Spelling
Remember the i before g.
Infinity
8 sideways is infinity.
Flashcards
Use number cards.
Rhyme
Rhyme with gate.
Formal Writing
Write out numbers under 10.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Eight is the weight of a plate.
Association visuelle
A spider with eight legs.
Word Web
Défi
Count eight items in your room.
Origine du mot
Germanic
Sens originel : the number 8
Contexte culturel
None
Used universally for time and counting.
Pratique dans la vie réelle
Contextes réels
school
- eight students
- eight pages
- eight o'clock class
math
- eight plus eight
- eight times table
- eight squared
travel
- eight miles away
- eight hour flight
- eight stops
work
- eight hour shift
- eight person team
- eight day deadline
Amorces de conversation
"How many siblings do you have? Could you say eight?"
"What do you do at eight o'clock?"
"Do you have eight items in your bag?"
"Is eight your lucky number?"
"Can you name eight colors?"
Sujets d'écriture
Write about your day at eight o'clock.
Describe a spider with eight legs.
What would you do with eight wishes?
Why is the number eight interesting?
Questions fréquentes
8 questionsIt is an even number.
E-I-G-H-T.
Eighth.
No, it is divisible by 2 and 4.
Sixty-four.
It is a remnant of Old English spelling.
No, it is a noun/adjective.
In some cultures, yes, but not specifically in English.
Teste-toi 10 questions
I have ___ apples.
Eight is the number.
Which is 8?
Eight is 8.
Eight is an odd number.
Eight is even.
I am behind the ___ ball.
Idiom.
What is an octad?
Octad means 8.
Eightfold means 8 times.
Correct definition.
/ 10 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
Eight is a simple yet essential number used for counting and measuring.
- Eight is the integer after seven.
- It is an even number.
- It is used in many idioms.
- It is a fundamental number in English.
Memory Palace
Visualize 8 spider legs.
Time Telling
Always use 'o'clock' with eight.
Lucky 8
Note that 8 is lucky in Chinese culture.
Adjective Rule
Don't pluralize numbers as adjectives.
Contenu associé
Apprendre en contexte
Ce mot dans d'autres langues
Expressions liées
Plus de mots sur general
a lot of
A2Cela signifie qu'il y a une grande quantité de quelque chose. C'est une expression très courante pour dire 'beaucoup'.
about
A1'About' signifie 'à propos de' quand on parle d'un sujet, ou 'environ' pour une quantité.
above
A2Indique une position plus haute que quelque chose d'autre, juste au-dessus.
accident
A2Un événement imprévu qui cause du tort ou des blessures.
action
A2C'est le fait de faire quelque chose pour atteindre un but.
after
A2'After' veut dire 'après', quelque chose qui arrive plus tard dans le temps ou dans l'espace.
afterward
A2At a later or subsequent time.
again
A2'Again' veut dire 'encore', que quelque chose se produit une deuxième fois ou plus.
aged
B1Cela précise l'âge d'une personne ou d'un objet.
alive
A2Quelque chose qui est en vie, qui n'est pas mort.
