French Numbers 1–20: A Complete Beginner Guide

If you learn only one vocabulary set this week, make it numbers. You need them for age, prices, time, phone numbers, addresses, and “How many?” in almost every beginner conversation.

Full chart: 1 to 20

Keep this table open while you practice. Click any word later in the dictionary to hear more examples.

Step 1 — Own 1 to 10

These ten forms show up constantly. Say them out loud in order, then backward, then in random pairs (trois–sept, huit–deux).

Step 2 — The special teens (11–16)

Unlike English “thirteen / fourteen…,” French 11–16 each have their own name. Do not try to build them from dix + a digit.

Step 3 — 17 to 20 (compounds + vingt)

From 17, French becomes more regular again: dix + the digit, written with a hyphen. Then you reach vingt (20).

un vs une

un is special: it is both the number “one” and the masculine article “a/an.” Before a feminine noun, use une.

Use numbers in real sentences

Numbers become useful when you plug them into age, time, and shopping phrases.

Practice — Write the number word

Type the French word for each digit. Use hyphens where needed.

Practice — Choose the correct form

A simple study plan

Day 1: memorize 1–10. Day 2: add 11–16. Day 3: drill 17–20 and say ages out loud (J’ai … ans). Day 4: mix them — count objects around you in French.

What to learn next

Open dictionary pages for dix, quinze, and vingt, then continue with time expressions and the numbers lesson for more examples.