100 practice makes perfect French Vocabulary
Les approximations (Approximations)
In cases when a precise number is not necessary, we approximate the number.
Note that except for dix, cinq, and mille, you can obtain the following words easily by add-
ing the suffi x -aine to the related cardinal number aft er omitting the fi nal -e wherever there is
one.
la dizaine about 10
la douzaine about 12 (dozen)
la quinzaine about 15
la vingtaine about 20
la trentaine about 30
la quarantaine about 40
la cinquantaine about 50
la soixantaine about 60
la centaine about 100
le millier about 1,000
Elle a une dizaine de paires de She has about ten pairs of shoes.
chaussures.
Son père a la quarantaine, je crois. Her father is about forty years old, I believe.
J’ai répété ça une centaine de fois. I repeated this about a hundred times.
Il y a des milliers de fourmis ici. Th ere are thousands of ants here.
9 · 2
EXERCICE
Connaissez-vous ces nombres? Do you know these numbers? Write the corresponding
numeral next to each spelled-out number.
- soixante-quatorze
- trois cents
- cinq mille
- quatre-vingt-quinze
- trente-six
- quarante-huit
- soixante-neuf
- dix-sept
- treize
- quatre-vingt-quatre
- un million cinquante mille
12 trois milliards
- cent trente et un
- quatorze mille
- cinquante-deux