Cardinal Numbers in French

Here’s a beginner-friendly, SEO-focused article with French cardinal numbers from 0 to 50, pronunciation, and English translation in table format.

French Cardinal Numbers 0–50: Pronunciation and English Translation

Learning cardinal numbers in French is one of the first steps toward building a strong French vocabulary. Whether you are talking about your age, counting objects, discussing prices, giving a phone number, or telling someone an address, French numbers are part of everyday communication.

This guide covers French cardinal numbers from 0 to 50, including easy pronunciation and English translations. It is designed for beginners who want a practical reference for learning and speaking French.

What Are Cardinal Numbers in French?

Cardinal numbers are numbers used to express quantity or amount. For example:

un = one
deux = two
dix = ten
vingt = twenty

They are different from ordinal numbers, which describe position or order, such as premier (first) or deuxième (second).

French Cardinal Numbers 0–50

Number	French	Pronunciation	English
0	zéro	ZAY-roh	zero
1	un	uhn	one
2	deux	duh	two
3	trois	trwah	three
4	quatre	katr	four
5	cinq	sank	five
6	six	sees	six
7	sept	set	seven
8	huit	weet	eight
9	neuf	nuhf	nine
10	dix	dees	ten
11	onze	onz	eleven
12	douze	dooz	twelve
13	treize	trez	thirteen
14	quatorze	kah-TORZ	fourteen
15	quinze	kanz	fifteen
16	seize	sez	sixteen
17	dix-sept	dees-SET	seventeen
18	dix-huit	deez-WEET	eighteen
19	dix-neuf	deez-NUHF	nineteen
20	vingt	van	twenty
21	vingt et un	van-tay-uhn	twenty-one
22	vingt-deux	van-DUH	twenty-two
23	vingt-trois	van-TRWAH	twenty-three
24	vingt-quatre	van-KATR	twenty-four
25	vingt-cinq	van-SANK	twenty-five
26	vingt-six	van-SEES	twenty-six
27	vingt-sept	van-SET	twenty-seven
28	vingt-huit	van-WEET	twenty-eight
29	vingt-neuf	van-NUHF	twenty-nine
30	trente	trahnt	thirty
31	trente et un	trahnt-ay-uhn	thirty-one
32	trente-deux	trahnt-DUH	thirty-two
33	trente-trois	trahnt-TRWAH	thirty-three
34	trente-quatre	trahnt-KATR	thirty-four
35	trente-cinq	trahnt-SANK	thirty-five
36	trente-six	trahnt-SEES	thirty-six
37	trente-sept	trahnt-SET	thirty-seven
38	trente-huit	trahnt-WEET	thirty-eight
39	trente-neuf	trahnt-NUHF	thirty-nine
40	quarante	kah-RAHNT	forty
41	quarante et un	kah-RAHNT-ay-uhn	forty-one
42	quarante-deux	kah-RAHNT-DUH	forty-two
43	quarante-trois	kah-RAHNT-TRWAH	forty-three
44	quarante-quatre	kah-RAHNT-KATR	forty-four
45	quarante-cinq	kah-RAHNT-SANK	forty-five
46	quarante-six	kah-RAHNT-SEES	forty-six
47	quarante-sept	kah-RAHNT-SET	forty-seven
48	quarante-huit	kah-RAHNT-WEET	forty-eight
49	quarante-neuf	kah-RAHNT-NUHF	forty-nine
50	cinquante	sank-AHNT	fifty

How French Numbers Are Formed

French cardinal numbers become easier once you understand the basic pattern.

From 17 to 19, French combines dix with the single-digit number:

dix-sept = seventeen
dix-huit = eighteen
dix-neuf = nineteen

For numbers such as 22, 23, and 24, the number 20 (vingt) is followed by the appropriate single digit:

vingt-deux = twenty-two
vingt-trois = twenty-three
vingt-quatre = twenty-four

The same pattern continues with trente (30) and quarante (40).

The Special “Et Un” Rule

One useful rule for beginners is the use of et un, meaning “and one.”

You say:

vingt et un = 21
trente et un = 31
quarante et un = 41

Notice that et is not normally used in numbers such as 22 or 32.

Using French Cardinal Numbers in Everyday Life

Knowing numbers from 0 to 50 can help you handle many basic conversations.

For example:

J’ai vingt ans.
= I am twenty years old.

J’ai trente euros.
= I have thirty euros.

Il y a quarante personnes.
= There are forty people.

J’ai deux livres.
= I have two books.

Numbers are also essential when discussing prices, quantities, ages, dates, addresses, and telephone numbers.

Tips for Learning French Numbers

The best way to memorize French cardinal numbers is to practice them in groups rather than trying to learn all 51 numbers at once.

Start with 0–10, then learn 11–20. Once those are familiar, focus on the tens: vingt, trente, and quarante. You can then combine them with the numbers you already know.

Practice speaking the numbers aloud because French pronunciation can be quite different from English. Listening to native speakers can also help you develop a more accurate accent and rhythm.

Conclusion

Learning French cardinal numbers from 0 to 50 gives beginners an important foundation for everyday French communication. The numbers become much easier once you understand the patterns used to form numbers from 17 onward.

Start by memorizing the numbers from 0 to 20, then practice combining them with vingt, trente, and quarante. With regular practice, you will be able to recognize and use French numbers naturally in conversations.

Summary