This deep dive covers The French Counting System — Key Danger Zones within Numbers, dates and times by ear for GCSE French. Revise Numbers, dates and times by ear in Listening Traps for GCSE French with 15 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 2 of 4 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
📋 The French Counting System — Key Danger Zones
| Number | French | Literal meaning | Why students mishear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | soixante-dix | sixty-ten | Students expect "septante" (used in Belgium/Switzerland — NOT standard AQA French) |
| 71 | soixante et onze | sixty and eleven | The et is only used here and in 81 — elsewhere it's dropped |
| 72–79 | soixante-douze … soixante-dix-neuf | sixty-twelve … sixty-nineteen | Sounds like a teen number tagged on to sixty — easy to miscount |
| 80 | quatre-vingts | four twenties | Written with -s; drops -s before another number: quatre-vingt-un |
| 81–89 | quatre-vingt-un … quatre-vingt-neuf | four-twenty-one … four-twenty-nine | No et — even at 81 (quatre-vingt-un, NOT quatre-vingt et un) |
| 90–99 | quatre-vingt-dix … quatre-vingt-dix-neuf | four-twenty-ten … four-twenty-nineteen | Students write 79 when they hear 99 because the teen sounds the same |
| 100 | cent | one hundred | Takes -s only when it's a round multiple: deux cents but deux cent trois |
| 1 000 | mille | one thousand | Never un mille — always mille alone |
| 1 000 000 | un million | — | million takes de before a noun: un million d'euros |
📋 Sound-Alike Number Pairs — Most Dangerous in Listening
| Pair | Pronunciation clue |
|---|---|
| deux (2) / douze (12) | deux = silent final consonant [dø]; douze = audible -z [duz] |
| trois (3) / treize (13) | trois = [trwa]; treize = [trɛz] — the -eize ending is longer |
| quatre (4) / quatorze (14) | quatre = [katr]; quatorze = [katɔrz] — extra syllable |
| cinq (5) / quinze (15) | cinq = [sɛ̃k]; quinze = [kɛ̃z] — listen for the -z |
| six (6) / seize (16) | six = [sis]; seize = [sɛz] — different vowel + -z ending |
| sept (7) / dix-sept (17) | dix-sept always has the dix prefix audible |
| soixante (60) / soixante-dix (70) | Listen for the dix at the end — it is always pronounced |
| quatre-vingts (80) / quatre-vingt-dix (90) | Again, listen for the dix suffix |
📋 Ordinal Numbers
| Number | Ordinal (m) | Ordinal (f) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | premier | première | Completely different from the cardinal — always learn this separately |
| 2nd | deuxième / second | deuxième / seconde | second(e) often used when there are only two items |
| 3rd+ | troisième, quatrième… | same + -e | Add -ième to the cardinal (drop final -e if present: quatre → quatrième) |
📋 Dates
Le rendez-vous est le vingt et un juin à quatorze heures trente.
The appointment is on the 21st of June at 14:30.
- Dates use cardinal numbers with le — EXCEPT the first: le premier janvier.
- Time uses the 24-hour clock in formal contexts: quatorze heures trente = 14h30 = 2:30 pm.
📋 Telling the Time
| Expression | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Il est deux heures. | It is 2 o'clock. | Always il est — never c'est for time |
| Il est deux heures et demie. | It is half past two. | et demie after the hour |
| Il est deux heures et quart. | It is quarter past two. | et quart |
| Il est deux heures moins le quart. | It is quarter to two. | moins le quart — the "le" is fixed |
| Il est midi. | It is noon / midday. | Not douze heures in speech |
| Il est minuit. | It is midnight. | Not vingt-quatre heures |
| Il est 14h30 (quatorze heures trente). | It is 2:30 pm. | Digital / timetable format — common in listening tasks |
📋 Prices
Ça coûte deux euros cinquante.
That costs €2.50.
- In spoken French, et is optional with prices. You may also hear deux euros et cinquante centimes.
- On a form-filling task, write the numeral: €2.50 or 2,50 € — both accepted.
⭐ Strategy for Sound-Alike Pairs
When you hear a number that could be two/twelve, three/thirteen, etc. — write both options down quickly, then use the context to decide. A price of "twelve euros" is more plausible than "two euros" for a meal; a distance of "two kilometres" is more plausible than "twelve" for a local walk. Context always helps.
Practice questions for Numbers, dates and times by ear
What does 'soixante-dix' mean in English?
Which of the following correctly explains why 'quatre-vingts' means 80?