French Numbers: An Incredible Story!

French numbers are essential for everyday communication: telling your age, indicating prices, or telling time. However, their structure can sometimes seem complicated, especially with words like soixante-dix (seventy) or quatre-vingt-dix (ninety), which often surprise learners.

These peculiarities find their roots in French history and culture. Understanding their basics and evolution helps master them better. This article invites you to explore the world of French numbers: their origin, usage, logic, and fascinating anecdotes that make them unique.

What is a number?

A number is a basic unit for representing quantity, measurement, or position. For example:

• Counting: “J’ai trois amis.” (“I have three friends.”)
• Measuring: “La table mesure deux mètres.” (“The table measures two meters.”)
• Indicating position: “Je suis arrivé premier à la course.” (“I arrived first in the race.”)

Numbers play a universal role, but each language expresses them differently. In French, they reflect both historical influences and unique logic.

French numbers today

Here’s a reminder of numbers 1 to 10, essential for beginners:

• Un (1): “Il y a un soleil dans le ciel.” (“There is one sun in the sky.”)
• Deux (2): “J’ai deux stylos dans ma trousse.” (“I have two pens in my pencil case.”)
• Trois (3): “Nous sommes trois à jouer.” (“There are three of us playing.”)
• Quatre (4): “Une voiture a quatre roues.” (“A car has four wheels.”)
• Cinq (5): “Il y a cinq doigts sur une main.” (“There are five fingers on a hand.”)
• Six (6): “L’école commence à six heures.” (“School starts at six o’clock.”)
• Sept (7): “La semaine a sept jours.” (“The week has seven days.”)
• Huit (8): “Une araignée a huit pattes.” (“A spider has eight legs.”)
• Neuf (9): “Le match débute à neuf heures.” (“The match starts at nine o’clock.”)
• Dix (10): “Les enfants comptent jusqu’à dix.” (“The children count to ten.”)

From 11 onwards, words are combined or specific terms are introduced (example: onze, vingt-deux). The difficulty increases from 70 onwards, with constructions like soixante-dix (60 + 10) or quatre-vingt-dix (4 × 20 + 10).

The origin of number words

French number words primarily come from Latin, but some show Gaulish influence. Here are some examples:

• Un comes from Latin unus.
• Deux comes from duo.
• Trois derives from tres.
• Cinq comes from quinque.

However, the vigesimal system (based on 20), visible in expressions like quatre-vingts (eighty, literally “four-twenties”), is a direct influence from the Celts. These peoples used their fingers and toes to count, totaling 20 units.

Numbers 11 to 17: an interesting origin

French numbers from 11 to 16 have an interesting origin. These words (onze, douze, treize, quatorze, quinze, and seize) come directly from Latin and each form a single word. For example, “onze” comes from Latin “undecim” which meant “one-ten”, “douze” comes from “duodecim” which meant “two-ten”, and so on. From 17 onwards, the construction changes: “dix-sept”, “dix-huit”, and “dix-neuf” are used. This difference is explained by the frequent use of numbers 11 to 16 in daily life throughout history. These commonly used words gradually transformed into single words, while higher numbers retained their compound form. This linguistic evolution demonstrates the influence of usage on French word formation.

Why “soixante-dix” and not “septante”?

In France, numbers from 70 to 99 follow a different logic from other numbers:

• Soixante-dix: 60 + 10 (seventy)
• Quatre-vingts: 4 × 20 (eighty)
• Quatre-vingt-dix: 4 × 20 + 10 (ninety)

This structure reflects the old vigesimal system. However, other French-speaking countries, like Switzerland or Belgium, use simplified forms:

• 70 = septante
• 80 = huitante or sometimes octante
• 90 = nonante

These simplified forms are more logical for learners but are not used in metropolitan France.

Numbers in the Middle Ages

During the Middle Ages, Europeans still used Roman numerals, such as:

• I = 1
• V = 5
• X = 10
• L = 50
• C = 100

These numerals, while practical for writing, were poorly suited for calculations. For example, it was complex to perform multiplications or divisions with these symbols.

The arrival of Arabic numerals, brought by Arab merchants and scholars in the 12th century, revolutionized counting and calculation methods.

Anecdotes about zero: void and infinity

The number zero hasn’t always existed in mathematics. It was invented in India, where it was called sunya, meaning “void”. In the 12th century, the Indian mathematician Bhaskara established a fascinating relationship: he demonstrated that 1 divided by 0 (1/0) equals infinity, showing the link between void and infinity.

In the 9th century, Arabs adopted this concept by borrowing the word sunya, which they transformed into sifr. This term gave birth to the word zero in European languages.

Zero arrived in the West in the 12th century, introduced by Italian scholars. It was first called zefiro, before becoming zero in the 15th century. This number, long ignored, is today a cornerstone of mathematics and many disciplines.

Learning to count while having fun

Here are some ideas for memorizing numbers:

1. Singing nursery rhymes: for example, “Un, deux, trois, nous irons au bois” (“One, two, three, we’ll go to the woods”)
2. Playing games: lotto, dominos, or Monopoly
3. Counting everyday objects: pencils, apples, cars, etc.

These activities make learning fun and interactive.

Numbers in French culture

Numbers hold an important place in French culture. They appear in songs, expressions, and even traditions.

Example: The nursery rhyme “Un, deux, trois, nous irons au bois”

This traditional song is ideal for learning numbers while having fun. It’s part of the cultural heritage and often accompanies children in their early learning.

Practical exercise for learners

Count the objects around you!

1. How many books are there on your desk?
2. How many windows do you see in the room?
3. Write a sentence in French: “Il y a X livres.” (“There are X books.”)

This simple exercise allows you to practice numbers in context.

Conclusion

French numbers are both useful and fascinating. Their structure, influenced by history and traditions, reflects a unique logic. Understanding their origin and evolution helps master them more easily. With a bit of practice and fun activities, counting in French will become child’s play.

法语数字：一段不可思议的历史！

法语数字在日常交际中不可或缺：用于表达年龄、标明价格或是报时。然而，法语数字的结构有时会显得比较复杂，特别是像 soixante-dix（七十）或 quatre-vingt-dix（九十）这样的词，常常会让学习者感到惊讶。

这些特点源于法国的历史和文化。了解它们的基础和演变有助于更好地掌握。本文将带您探索法语数字的世界：它们的起源、用法、逻辑，以及使它们独特的迷人轶事。

什么是数字？

数字是表示数量、度量或位置的基本单位。例如：

• 计数：”J’ai trois amis.”（”我有三个朋友。”）
• 测量：”La table mesure deux mètres.”（”这张桌子两米长。”）
• 表示位置：”Je suis arrivé premier à la course.”（”我在比赛中获得第一名。”）

数字具有普遍性，但每种语言表达方式都不同。在法语中，数字同时反映了历史影响和独特的逻辑。

今天的法语数字

以下是基础的1到10的数字复习：

• Un (1)：”Il y a un soleil dans le ciel.”（”天空中有一个太阳。”）
• Deux (2)：”J’ai deux stylos dans ma trousse.”（”我的笔袋里有两支笔。”）
• Trois (3)：”Nous sommes trois à jouer.”（”我们三个人在玩。”）
• Quatre (4)：”Une voiture a quatre roues.”（”一辆车有四个轮子。”）
• Cinq (5)：”Il y a cinq doigts sur une main.”（”一只手有五个手指。”）
• Six (6)：”L’école commence à six heures.”（”学校六点开始。”）
• Sept (7)：”La semaine a sept jours.”（”一周有七天。”）
• Huit (8)：”Une araignée a huit pattes.”（”蜘蛛有八条腿。”）
• Neuf (9)：”Le match débute à neuf heures.”（”比赛九点开始。”）
• Dix (10)：”Les enfants comptent jusqu’à dix.”（”孩子们数到十。”）

从11开始，单词会组合或使用特定术语（例如：onze，vingt-deux）。从70开始难度增加，出现像 soixante-dix（60 + 10）或 quatre-vingt-dix（4 × 20 + 10）这样的构造。

数字词的起源

法语数字词主要来自拉丁语，但有些显示出高卢语的影响。例如：

• Un 来自拉丁语 unus
• Deux 来自 duo
• Trois 源自 tres
• Cinq 来自 quinque

然而，二十进制系统（以20为基础），在 quatre-vingts（八十，字面意思是”四个二十”）等表达中可见，这直接受凯尔特人的影响。这些民族用手指和脚趾来计数，总计20个单位。

11到17的数字：一段有趣的历史

法语中11到16的数字有着有趣的起源。这些词（onze、douze、treize、quatorze、quinze和seize）直接来自拉丁语，每个都形成了一个单独的词。例如，”onze”来自拉丁语”undecim”，意思是”一个十”，”douze”来自”duodecim”，意思是”两个十”，以此类推。从17开始，构造方式发生了变化：使用”dix-sept”、”dix-huit”和”dix-neuf”。这种差异可以解释为11到16这些数字在历史上的日常生活中使用频繁。这些常用词逐渐转变成单个词，而更大的数字则保留了其复合形式。这种语言演变展示了使用习惯对法语词形成的影响。

为什么是”soixante-dix”而不是”septante”？

在法国，70到99的数字遵循与其他数字不同的逻辑：

• Soixante-dix：60 + 10（七十）
• Quatre-vingts：4 × 20（八十）
• Quatre-vingt-dix：4 × 20 + 10（九十）

这种结构反映了古老的二十进制系统。然而，其他法语国家，如瑞士或比利时，使用简化形式：

• 70 = septante
• 80 = huitante 或有时用 octante
• 90 = nonante

这些简化形式对学习者来说更合乎逻辑，但在法国本土并不使用。

中世纪的数字

在中世纪，欧洲人仍在使用罗马数字，例如：

• I = 1
• V = 5
• X = 10
• L = 50
• C = 100

这些数字虽然便于书写，但不适合计算。例如，用这些符号进行乘法或除法运算很复杂。

阿拉伯数字的到来，由阿拉伯商人和学者在12世纪带来，彻底改变了计数和计算方法。

关于零的轶事：虚无与无限

零并不是一直存在于数学中。它是在印度发明的，在那里被称为sunya，意为”虚无”。在12世纪，印度数学家Bhaskara建立了一个迷人的关系：他证明了1除以0（1/0）等于无限，展示了虚无与无限之间的联系。

在9世纪，阿拉伯人借用了sunya这个词，将其转化为sifr。这个词在欧洲语言中演变成了zero（零）这个词。

零在12世纪传入西方，由意大利学者引入。它最初被称为zefiro，到15世纪才变成zero。这个长期被忽视的数字，如今是数学和许多学科的基石。

寓教于乐地学习计数

以下是一些记忆数字的方法：

1. 唱儿歌：例如”Un, deux, trois, nous irons au bois”（”一二三，我们去森林”）
2. 玩游戏：彩票、多米诺骨牌或大富翁
3. 数日常物品：铅笔、苹果、汽车等

这些活动使学习变得有趣且互动。

法语文化中的数字

数字在法语文化中占有重要地位。它们出现在歌曲、表达方式甚至传统中。

例如：儿歌”Un, deux, trois, nous irons au bois”

这首传统歌曲是学习数字的理想选择。它是文化遗产的一部分，经常伴随儿童早期学习。

学习者实践练习

数一数你周围的物品！

1. 你的桌子上有多少本书？
2. 你在房间里看到几个窗户？
3. 用法语写一个句子：”Il y a X livres.”（”这里有X本书。”）

这个简单的练习让你在具体情境中练习数字。

结论

法语数字既实用又迷人。它们的结构受历史和传统的影响，反映了独特的逻辑。理解它们的起源和演变有助于更容易掌握。通过一些练习和有趣的活动，用法语数数将变得轻而易举。