A2 Nouns & Articles 15 min read Easy

French Numbers & Nouns: Counting Items (1, 2, 3...)

Numbers act as direct determiners in French, eliminating the need for articles or the word 'de'.
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

In French, place the number directly before the noun, and remember that numbers are invariant except for 'un' and 'vingt/cent'.

  • Place the number before the noun: 'deux pommes' (two apples).
  • The number 'un' becomes 'une' before feminine nouns: 'une table'.
  • Numbers do not change for plural nouns: 'trois chats' (three cats).
Number + Noun (e.g., 3 + 🍎)

Overview

When learning French, you quickly discover the critical role of articles: le, la, les, un, une, des, du, de la. They are almost always present before a noun, shaping its meaning regarding specificity and quantity. However, a significant shift occurs when you introduce specific cardinal numbers such as deux (two), cinq (five), or cent (one hundred) directly before a noun.

In these instances, the number assumes the role of a determiner, effectively displacing the need for any article. This principle is fundamental to expressing precise quantities in French and is a cornerstone of accurate communication at the A2 level and beyond.

The number itself provides the exact quantitative information, rendering an additional article redundant. For example, instead of saying “I have some friends” (J'ai des amis), when you specify the quantity, it becomes “I have three friends” (J'ai trois amis). The des vanishes because trois now fulfills the determining function.

This directness is a key characteristic of French numerical expressions. Understanding this distinction prevents common errors and contributes significantly to sounding more natural and precise.

How This Grammar Works

In French grammar, determiners are words that introduce a noun and provide information about its quantity, possession, or specificity. Articles (un, une, des, le, la, les, du, de la, des) are a common type of determiner. Cardinal numbers, when used to specify a count, also function as determiners.
When a number directly precedes a noun, it takes over the role of quantification, making other articles unnecessary and grammatically incorrect. This is because a noun can only have one primary determiner.
Consider the difference between indefinite articles and numbers. The indefinite plural article des in J'ai des livres implies "some books" or "an unspecified number of books." When you state a precise number, such as dix livres (ten books), the number dix already provides the exact quantity. Therefore, an article like des is no longer needed.
Including des in a phrase like trois des pommes would change the meaning to "three of the apples" (implying a selection from a specific group of apples), which is a different grammatical construction and usually not the intended meaning when simply counting.
This rule applies universally across all cardinal numbers from zéro (zero) up to mille (thousand). The noun following the number will almost always be in its plural form, reflecting the quantity greater than one. The only exception to this pluralization is when the number is un or une, which by definition refers to a single item.
  • un étudiant (one student)
  • sept étudiants (seven students)
  • zéro erreur (zero errors)
This direct Number + Noun structure simplifies expression once the underlying principle—that the number itself is the primary quantifier—is understood.

Formation Pattern

1
Forming expressions with numbers and nouns in French is largely straightforward once you grasp the core rule of article omission. The basic pattern is Cardinal Number + Noun.
2
Basic Pattern:
3
| Type of Number | Pattern | Example (Masculine) | Translation | Example (Feminine) | Translation |
4
| :------------- | :---------------------- | :------------------- | :---------------------- | :------------------- | :---------------------- |
5
| One | un / une + Noun | un livre | one book | une chaise | one chair |
6
| Other Numbers | Number + Noun (Plural)| cinq livres | five books | dix chaises | ten chairs |
7
Key Steps for Formation:
8
Select the Number: Choose the specific cardinal number you wish to use (e.g., deux, quatorze, soixante).
9
Determine Gender for un/une: If the quantity is one, use un for masculine nouns and une for feminine nouns. For all other numbers, the form of the number itself does not change based on the noun's gender.
10
Place the Noun: Position the noun immediately after the number. Crucially, no article (such as le, la, les, un, une, des, du, de la, or de) should be placed between the number and the noun.
11
Pluralize the Noun: If the number is greater than one (i.e., deux or higher), the noun must be in its plural form (typically by adding an -s or -x). If the number is un or une, the noun remains singular.
12
trois stylos (three pens)
13
huit voitures (eight cars)
14
Exceptions for Large Numbers:
15
Numbers like million (million) and milliard (billion) behave differently because they are grammatically treated as nouns themselves, not just adjectives of quantity. Consequently, they require the preposition de before the noun they quantify.
16
Pattern: Number + million(s) / milliard(s) + de + Noun
17
un million de dollars (a million dollars)
18
deux milliards de personnes (two billion people)
19
This is a critical distinction: mille (thousand) still follows the basic Number + Noun pattern without de. For example, mille euros (one thousand euros), not mille d'euros.

Gender & Agreement

Understanding gender and agreement when counting nouns is primarily focused on the number un and the noun itself. Other cardinal numbers generally remain invariant.
1. Agreement with Un and Une:
  • The number un (one) is unique because it is the only cardinal number that changes its form to agree in gender with the noun it modifies. You use un for masculine singular nouns and une for feminine singular nouns.
  • J'ai un frère. (I have one brother.) — frère is masculine, so un.
  • Elle a une sœur. (She has one sister.) — sœur is feminine, so une.
2. Noun Pluralization:
  • For any number greater than un or une (i.e., deux, trois, cent, etc.), the noun that follows must be in its plural form. This typically involves adding an -s to the end of the noun. Remember that in most cases, this final -s is silent.
  • deux livres (two books) — pronounced deux livr(e)
  • trois chaises (three chairs) — pronounced trois chais(e)
  • Important: Even if the number is zéro, the noun can be plural, reflecting the possibility of multiple items, albeit none are present. zéro kilomètre (zero kilometers) or zéro point (zero points).
3. Special Cases: Vingt and Cent Agreement:
  • Vingt (20) and Cent (100) typically take an -s when they are multiplied and appear at the very end of the number (i.e., not followed by another number).
  • quatre-vingts (80) — quatre x vingt at the end.
  • deux cents (200) — deux x cent at the end.
  • However, if vingt or cent are followed by another number, the -s is dropped.
  • quatre-vingt-trois (83) — vingt is followed by trois, so no -s.
  • deux cent dix (210) — cent is followed by dix, so no -s.
  • Mille (1000) is an exception that never takes an -s, regardless of whether it is multiplied or appears at the end of a number.
  • deux mille (2000)
  • trois mille cinq cents (3500)
4. Liaison with Numbers:
  • Many French numbers end in a consonant that is usually silent but becomes pronounced (or creates a liaison) when followed by a vowel sound (a vowel or a silent h). This is particularly noticeable with numbers like deux, trois, six, huit, dix, vingt.
  • deux amis (two friends) — The x in deux is pronounced like a z sound: deux z-amis.
  • huit heures (eight hours) — The t in huit is pronounced: huit t-heures.
  • This phonetic detail is crucial for sounding natural and is often overlooked by learners.

When To Use It

Using numbers with nouns is a fundamental aspect of daily French communication, occurring whenever precision about quantity is required. Here are the most common scenarios where you will apply this grammar rule at an A2 level:
  • Counting Objects and People: This is the most direct application. Whether you are counting tangible items or individuals, you will use the Number + Noun structure.
  • J'ai trois chats. (I have three cats.)
  • Il y a seize étudiants dans la classe. (There are sixteen students in the class.)
  • Stating Age: In French, you "have" years, you are not "x years old." Numbers are essential here.
  • J'ai vingt-cinq ans. (I am twenty-five years old.) — Note the liaison between vingt and ans (vingt t-ans).
  • Shopping and Ordering: When purchasing items or ordering food, specifying the quantity is paramount.
  • Je voudrais deux croissants, s'il vous plaît. (I would like two croissants, please.)
  • J'ai acheté cinq pommes au marché. (I bought five apples at the market.)
  • Time and Dates (Approximation vs. Precision): While time expressions can be complex, counting hours or days directly employs this rule.
  • Nous avons quatre heures de cours. (We have four hours of class.)
  • C'était il y a deux jours. (It was two days ago.)
  • Note for dates, ordinal numbers are often used for day of the month (le premier mai), but cardinal numbers for the year (deux mille vingt-six).
  • Measurements and Units: When dealing with units of measurement (though de will be used with containers/specific units, as covered in "Contrast With Similar Patterns"), the direct number-noun format applies for the raw count.
  • Cette table fait un mètre de long. (This table is one meter long.)
  • J'ai couru dix kilomètres. (I ran ten kilometers.)
  • Talking about Possessions or Experiences: Any time you need to quantify how many of something you possess or have experienced.
  • Elle a visité sept pays en Europe. (She has visited seven countries in Europe.)
  • J'ai vu deux films cette semaine. (I saw two films this week.)
This grammar point is foundational. Mastering it ensures clarity and accuracy in almost any situation requiring quantitative information.

Common Mistakes

French learners frequently make specific errors when combining numbers and nouns, often due to interference from other grammar rules or their native language. Recognizing and actively correcting these patterns is key to proficiency.
  • The "De-Trap" (Unnecessary de): This is arguably the most pervasive mistake. Learners mistakenly insert de between the number and the noun, influenced by expressions like beaucoup de (a lot of) or un peu de (a little of). Numbers, unlike adverbs of quantity, are strong enough to act as determiners on their own.
  • Incorrect: trois de livres
  • Correct: trois livres (three books)
  • Why it's wrong: Adding de here implies "three of books," which is grammatically nonsensical in this context. Remember, de is only used for million/milliard or with specific quantity expressions.
  • Incorrect Gender for un/une: Forgetting that un and une must agree in gender with the noun that follows.
  • Incorrect: un voiture (for "a car")
  • Correct: une voiture (voiture is feminine)
  • Incorrect: une problème (for "a problem")
  • Correct: un problème (problème is masculine)
  • Failing to Pluralize the Noun: Omitting the plural marker (-s or -x) on the noun when the number is greater than one.
  • Incorrect: cinq chaise
  • Correct: cinq chaises (five chairs)
  • Why it's wrong: Even if the plural -s is often silent, it must be written to indicate grammatical plurality.
  • Vingt and Cent Agreement Confusion: Incorrectly adding or omitting the final -s for vingt and cent in compound numbers.
  • Incorrect: quatre-vingts-trois (for 83)
  • Correct: quatre-vingt-trois (The s is dropped because vingt is followed by trois)
  • Incorrect: deux cent livres (for 200 books)
  • Correct: deux cents livres (The s is kept because cent is at the end of the numerical expression)
  • Misusing Mille vs. Million/Milliard: Forgetting that mille never takes an -s and does not use de, while million and milliard require de.
  • Incorrect: deux milles euros
  • Correct: deux mille euros (two thousand euros)
  • Incorrect: cinq million personnes
  • Correct: cinq millions de personnes (five million people) — millions is pluralized as well.
  • Liaison Omissions: Not performing liaisons when required between a number ending in a silent consonant and a noun starting with a vowel sound.
  • Incorrect (phonetically): six hommes (sounding like si homme)
  • Correct (phonetically): six z-hommes (six men)
By consciously reviewing these specific pitfalls, you can refine your understanding and application of French numbers with nouns.

Common Collocations

Certain phrases and contexts naturally lend themselves to the direct use of numbers with nouns. Familiarizing yourself with these common collocations can accelerate your fluency and improve your recall of the rule.
  • Age expressions (avoir [nombre] ans): This is one of the most frequent uses. The number directly precedes ans (years).
  • J'ai trente ans. (I am thirty years old.)
  • Mon frère a vingt-deux ans. (My brother is twenty-two years old.)
  • Time duration (il y a [nombre] [unité de temps]): When stating how long ago something occurred, or a duration.
  • Il y a deux heures. (Two hours ago.)
  • Nous partons dans cinq minutes. (We're leaving in five minutes.)
  • Counting items for purchase/inventory: Any situation where you specify the quantity of goods.
  • trois baguettes (three baguettes)
  • quatre billets (four tickets)
  • Combien de pommes voulez-vous ? Je voudrais six pommes. (How many apples do you want? I would like six apples.)
  • Expressing a quantity of people: Commonly used in social contexts or when describing groups.
  • cinq personnes (five people)
  • dix amis (ten friends)
  • Scores and measurements: In sports, academic results, or physical dimensions.
  • vingt points (twenty points)
  • deux mètres (two meters)
  • Counting occurrences or repetitions:
  • deux fois (two times)
  • plusieurs reprises (several times)
These collocations reinforce the pattern of Number + Noun without an intervening article, demonstrating its natural integration into everyday French phrases.

Real Conversations

Observing how native speakers use numbers with nouns in authentic, modern contexts highlights the rule's practicality and ubiquity. These examples move beyond textbook sentences, reflecting casual speech, texting, and informal writing.

- Ordering at a café:

- Client: Bonjour, je voudrais un café et deux croissants, s'il vous plaît. (Hello, I would like one coffee and two croissants, please.)

- Server: Bien sûr. Ça fera six euros. (Of course. That will be six euros.)

- Observation: un café (masculine singular), deux croissants (plural noun after number), six euros (direct number-noun).

- Planning with friends (text message):

- A: On est cinq pour le dîner ce soir, c'est bon ? (We are five for dinner tonight, is that okay?)

- B: Oui, parfait ! J'ai commandé deux pizzas. (Yes, perfect! I ordered two pizzas.)

- Observation: cinq (acting as a pronoun, implying people), deux pizzas (direct number-noun).

- Discussing work/school:

- J'ai trois réunions Zoom aujourd'hui, c'est fou ! (I have three Zoom meetings today, it's crazy!)

- Notre professeur nous a donné vingt exercices à faire. (Our teacher gave us twenty exercises to do.)

- Observation: trois réunions (direct number-noun), vingt exercices (direct number-noun, liaison on vingt z-exercices).

- Social media context (casual comment):

- Regardez, ma story a déjà cent mille vues ! (Look, my story already has one hundred thousand views!)

- J'ai vu ce film trois fois, il est excellent. (I've seen this film three times, it's excellent.)

- Observation: cent mille vues (no de after mille), trois fois (direct number-noun).

These examples underscore how frequently this grammatical structure appears in everyday interactions, demonstrating its importance for natural communication.

Quick FAQ

These frequently asked questions address common points of confusion or nuance for learners regarding French numbers and nouns.
  • Q: Why does un million use de but cent mille doesn't?
  • A: Million (un million) and milliard (un milliard) are unique among numbers because they function as nouns themselves, meaning "a million" or "a billion." When a noun quantifies another noun, the preposition de is required. In contrast, cent, mille, etc., are pure adjectives of quantity, directly modifying the noun without de (cent mille personnes).
  • Q: Does mille (one thousand) ever take an -s?
  • A: No, never. Mille is invariant. Whether you are saying deux mille (two thousand) or trois cent mille (three hundred thousand), mille remains singular in form. The only exception where mille might appear to have an -s is in older texts or specific contexts like Les Mille et Une Nuits (The Thousand and One Nights), but this is not standard for numerical counting.
  • Q: How do vingt and cent agree with -s?
  • A: They take an -s when they are multiplied (e.g., quatre-vingts for 80, deux cents for 200) AND they are the last element of the compound number. If another number follows them, the -s is dropped (e.g., quatre-vingt-un for 81, deux cent un for 201). This specific rule is important for written French.
  • Q: How do you handle zéro (zero) with nouns?
  • A: Zéro functions like any other number. The noun typically remains plural, especially when referring to countable items or measurements, to acknowledge the category even if the quantity is absent.
  • zéro point (zero points)
  • zéro degré (zero degrees)
  • zéro faute (zero mistakes)
  • Q: What about decimals (e.g., 1.5)?
  • A: In French, decimals use a comma instead of a period. The number is then followed directly by the noun. For example, 1,5 kilo (one and a half kilograms). The noun is usually singular if the whole number part is one, and plural if the value is greater than one (2,5 mètres).
  • Q: Do I need un before cent or mille? (un cent or un mille)?
  • A: Generally, no. French speakers say cent euros (one hundred euros) and mille euros (one thousand euros) directly. The un is typically omitted for cent and mille unless it is part of a larger, more complex number like mille cent (eleven hundred) or un million (which, as discussed, treats million as a noun). When cent or mille refers to the exact quantity of 100 or 1000, un is not used.
  • Q: Are there any numbers that take de for other reasons?
  • A: No, only million and milliard require de because of their noun status. All other numbers, when used as simple quantifiers, follow the direct Number + Noun pattern. Any other instance of de with numbers would be part of a larger construction, such as trois des plus belles villes (three of the most beautiful cities), where des functions as a partitive article referring to a specific group, not a general count.

Cardinal Numbers 1-10

Number French Gender Agreement
1
un / une
Yes
2
deux
No
3
trois
No
4
quatre
No
5
cinq
No
6
six
No
7
sept
No
8
huit
No
9
neuf
No
10
dix
No

Meanings

Cardinal numbers are used to indicate the quantity of a noun. They precede the noun directly without an article.

1

Basic Counting

Indicating a specific quantity of items.

“J'ai deux stylos.”

“Il y a quatre chaises.”

Reference Table

Reference table for French Numbers & Nouns: Counting Items (1, 2, 3...)
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
Number + Noun
J'ai trois chats.
Negative
Ne + Verb + Pas + Number + Noun
Je n'ai pas trois chats.
Question
Number + Noun + Verb?
Trois chats sont ici?
Agreement
Un/Une + Noun
Un homme / Une femme
Plurality
Number + Noun(s)
Deux livres
Invariance
Number + Noun
Trois tables

Formality Spectrum

Formal
Je possède trois frères.

Je possède trois frères. (Talking about family)

Neutral
J'ai trois frères.

J'ai trois frères. (Talking about family)

Informal
J'ai trois frères.

J'ai trois frères. (Talking about family)

Slang
J'ai trois frangins.

J'ai trois frangins. (Talking about family)

The Number Rule

Number

Agreement

  • un masculine
  • une feminine

Invariance

  • deux, trois... no change
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Examples by Level

1

J'ai un chien.

I have one dog.

2

Elle a deux chats.

She has two cats.

3

Il y a trois livres.

There are three books.

4

J'ai une pomme.

I have one apple.

1

Nous avons quatre chaises dans la cuisine.

We have four chairs in the kitchen.

2

Il a acheté cinq stylos.

He bought five pens.

3

Elle a six frères et sœurs.

She has six siblings.

4

J'ai sept euros dans ma poche.

I have seven euros in my pocket.

1

Il y a huit étudiants dans la salle de classe.

There are eight students in the classroom.

2

J'ai besoin de neuf feuilles de papier.

I need nine sheets of paper.

3

Dix personnes sont arrivées en retard.

Ten people arrived late.

4

Onze jours sont passés depuis son départ.

Eleven days have passed since his departure.

1

Douze mois constituent une année.

Twelve months make up a year.

2

Il a commandé treize pizzas pour la fête.

He ordered thirteen pizzas for the party.

3

Quatorze employés ont signé le contrat.

Fourteen employees signed the contract.

4

Quinze minutes suffisent pour finir.

Fifteen minutes are enough to finish.

1

Seize candidats ont postulé pour le poste.

Sixteen candidates applied for the position.

2

Dix-sept pays ont participé à la conférence.

Seventeen countries participated in the conference.

3

Dix-huit chapitres composent ce roman.

Eighteen chapters make up this novel.

4

Dix-neuf ans, c'est un âge charnière.

Nineteen years old is a pivotal age.

1

Vingt ans après, le mystère demeure.

Twenty years later, the mystery remains.

2

Trente personnes ont assisté à la cérémonie.

Thirty people attended the ceremony.

3

Quarante jours de voyage ont transformé sa vision.

Forty days of travel transformed his vision.

4

Cinquante nuances de gris est un livre célèbre.

Fifty Shades of Grey is a famous book.

Easily Confused

French Numbers & Nouns: Counting Items (1, 2, 3...) vs Numbers vs Partitive

Learners mix up 'des' (some) and numbers.

French Numbers & Nouns: Counting Items (1, 2, 3...) vs Un vs Une

Gender agreement for 'one'.

French Numbers & Nouns: Counting Items (1, 2, 3...) vs Pluralization

Forgetting the 's' on the noun.

Common Mistakes

✗

Trois les chats

✓

Trois chats

Do not use an article after a number.
✗

Trois chat

✓

Trois chats

Always pluralize the noun.
✗

Deuxes pommes

✓

Deux pommes

Numbers are invariant.
✗

Une chat

✓

Un chat

Gender agreement for 'un'.
✗

J'ai le deux chats

✓

J'ai deux chats

No article with numbers.
✗

Vingt-et-un pommes

✓

Vingt-et-une pommes

Agreement for 21.
✗

Quatre livre

✓

Quatre livres

Pluralization.
✗

Il y a des trois livres

✓

Il y a trois livres

No partitive with numbers.
✗

Cent-vingt-et-un hommes

✓

Cent-vingt-et-un hommes

Agreement.
✗

Il a vingt-deux ans

✓

Il a vingt-deux ans

Correct.
✗

Il y en a trois des livres

✓

Il y en a trois

Redundancy.
✗

Trois-cents personnes

✓

Trois cents personnes

Pluralization of hundred.
✗

Quatre-vingt-dix-et-un

✓

Quatre-vingt-onze

Number system.
✗

Il y a mille de personnes

✓

Il y a mille personnes

No preposition.

Sentence Patterns

J'ai ___ ___.

Il y a ___ ___ dans la salle.

J'ai besoin de ___ ___.

Elle a acheté ___ ___ pour le dîner.

Real World Usage

Bakery constant

Je voudrais trois croissants.

Hotel very common

Je veux deux chambres.

Texting constant

J'ai 3 chats.

Job Interview common

J'ai cinq ans d'expérience.

Food Delivery common

Je commande quatre pizzas.

Travel common

J'ai deux billets.

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💡

Check the Noun

Always check if the noun is masculine or feminine before using 'un' or 'une'.
⚠️

No Articles

Never put 'le', 'la', or 'les' after a number.
🎯

Pluralize

If the number is 2 or more, add an 's' to the noun.
💬

Pronunciation

Practice the liaison of 'six' and 'dix' before vowels.

Smart Tips

Always check the gender of the noun first.

Un table → Une table

Write them out in formal letters.

J'ai 3 frères. → J'ai trois frères.

Use liaison for 'six' and 'dix'.

Six amis → Six-z-amis

Don't forget the 's'.

Deux livre → Deux livres

Pronunciation

six amis -> /si-za-mi/

Liaison

Numbers ending in consonants (six, dix) often sound like 'z' before a vowel.

Declarative

J'ai trois chats. ↘

Falling intonation for statements.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Un is the only one that's fun, the rest are done and stay as one.

Visual Association

Imagine a '1' wearing a dress (une) or a suit (un), while all other numbers are wearing identical grey uniforms that never change.

Rhyme

One is fun, one is two, but for the rest, the form is true.

Story

I went to the store to buy one apple (une pomme). I saw two boys (deux garçons) buying three books (trois livres). Everything was simple because only the apple needed gender agreement.

Word Web

ununedeuxtroisquatrecinqsix

Challenge

Count every object you see in your room for 5 minutes using the structure [Number] + [Noun].

Cultural Notes

French people are very precise with numbers in formal settings.

Numbers are used similarly, but pronunciation of 'sept' and 'huit' can be distinct.

Uses 'septante' and 'nonante' for 70 and 90.

French numbers derive from Latin cardinal numbers.

Conversation Starters

“

Combien de frères as-tu ?

“

Combien de chaises y a-t-il ici ?

“

Combien de temps as-tu pour travailler ?

“

Combien de pays as-tu visités ?

Journal Prompts

Describe your family using numbers.
List 5 things you have in your bag.
Describe your daily routine with times.
Write about a trip you took.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

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Test Yourself

Fill in the blank.

J'ai ___ (one) chat.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: un
Chat is masculine.
Choose the correct sentence. Multiple Choice

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Trois chats
No article, plural noun.
Fix the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

J'ai deux pomme.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: J'ai deux pommes
Pluralize the noun.
Reorder the words. Sentence Building

chats / trois / j'ai

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: J'ai trois chats
Subject-Verb-Object.
Provide the correct number. Conjugation Drill

___ (one) table.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Une
Table is feminine.
Match the number to the word. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: quatre
4 is quatre.
Change to plural. Sentence Transformation

J'ai un livre.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: J'ai deux livres
Pluralize noun.
True or False? True False Rule

Numbers change for gender.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
Only 'un' changes.

Score: /8

Practice Exercises

8 exercises
Fill in the blank.

J'ai ___ (one) chat.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: un
Chat is masculine.
Choose the correct sentence. Multiple Choice

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Trois chats
No article, plural noun.
Fix the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

J'ai deux pomme.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: J'ai deux pommes
Pluralize the noun.
Reorder the words. Sentence Building

chats / trois / j'ai

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: J'ai trois chats
Subject-Verb-Object.
Provide the correct number. Conjugation Drill

___ (one) table.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Une
Table is feminine.
Match the number to the word. Match Pairs

4

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: quatre
4 is quatre.
Change to plural. Sentence Transformation

J'ai un livre.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: J'ai deux livres
Pluralize noun.
True or False? True False Rule

Numbers change for gender.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
Only 'un' changes.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

10 exercises
Fill in the blank Fill in the Blank

Il y a ___ (1000) livres dans cette bibliothèque.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: mille
Choose the correct sentence Multiple Choice

Which is correct for 200?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Deux cents pages.
Fix the mistake Error Correction

Nous avons deux de chiens.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nous avons deux chiens.
Put the words in order Sentence Reorder

reorder: [quatre] [j'ai] [amis] [en] [France]

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: J'ai quatre amis en France
Translate to French Translation

I have five dollars.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: J'ai cinq dollars.
Match the numbers to the nouns Match Pairs

Match the correct gender/plurality:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: all correct
Fill in the blank Fill in the Blank

C'est ___ (1) erreur idiote.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: une
Choose the correct spelling Multiple Choice

How do you write 82?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: quatre-vingt-deux
Translate to French Translation

He has ten followers.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Il a dix abonnés.
Fill in the blank Fill in the Blank

Voulez-vous ___ (2) sucres ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: deux

Score: /10

FAQ (8)

No, never use 'des' with a specific number.

Yes, 'un' becomes 'une' for feminine nouns.

They are invariant in most cases.

In informal contexts, yes, but write them out in formal ones.

Because the noun must be pluralized.

Yes, especially with liaison.

Use the same rule: 'trois personnes'.

Only 'un' and the pluralization of 'cent'/'vingt'.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

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In Other Languages

Spanish high

Tres gatos

Spanish numbers are very similar in structure.

German moderate

Drei Katzen

German has complex case endings.

Japanese low

San-biki no neko

Japanese requires specific counter words.

Arabic low

Thalathat qitat

Arabic numbers agree in gender inversely.

Chinese low

San zhi mao

Chinese requires measure words.

English high

Three cats

English doesn't have gendered numbers.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
French Quantity Adverbs: Beaucoup, Peu, Trop (de)
Next
French Quantity Expressions (beaucoup de, trop de)

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