Learn French: Numbers 1–20

Mastering numbers 1 through 20 is a vital first step for any French learner. These words are the building blocks for essential daily tasks, such as sharing your phone number, asking for prices at a local market, or telling someone your age. This lesson covers the foundational single digits, the unique words for the early teens, and the first major numerical milestone, vingt (vɛ̃), which means twenty.

One important pattern to notice occurs when you reach seventeen. While the numbers from eleven through sixteen are unique single words like onze (ɔ̃z) and seize (sɛz), the numbers seventeen, eighteen, and nineteen follow a logical compound structure. For example, dix-sept (dis.sɛt) literally combines the words for ten and seven, while dix-neuf (diz.nœf) combines ten and nine. This pattern makes the final stretch of the teens much easier to memorize.

You should also pay close attention to pronunciation, as French numbers often feature silent letters or specific consonant sounds that differ from English. While the final consonants in six (sis) and dix (dis) are pronounced clearly like an "s" sound, the "gt" at the end of vingt remains completely silent. Learning these first twenty numbers provides the necessary foundation for counting to one hundred and beyond, as almost all higher numbers in French are constructed using these basic forms.