Hundreds in French
In French, hundreds are expressed by stating the number followed by cent. For example, deux cents means two hundred. When the hundred is followed by another number, cent remains singular, such as in deux cent trois (two hundred three). Note that when cent is multiplied and not followed by another number, it takes an -s at the end, like trois cents (three hundred).
Thousands in French
The word for thousand in French is mille. Unlike cent, mille is invariable, meaning it never takes an -s in the plural. For example, deux mille means two thousand, and cinq mille means five thousand. It can be combined directly with other numbers, such as mille cinq cents (one thousand five hundred).
Combining Hundreds and Thousands
When forming larger numbers, thousands and hundreds just combine following the rules above. For example, deux mille trois cent quarante-deux means two thousand three hundred forty-two. Notice the use of hyphens in compound numbers and the singular cent after mille when followed by other numbers.
Special Number Rules
French uses hyphens in numbers from 17 to 99 (except in some cases like 71, 81, 91). Also, numbers like 80 are expressed as quatre-vingts (four twenties). This becomes relevant in thousands numbering and beyond, for example, quatre-vingt-dix-neuf mille (ninety-nine thousand).
Pronunciation Tips
The cent in deux cents is usually pronounced with the final -t when it is plural and not followed by another number. In contrast, mille is generally unstressed, which helps distinguish it from mil (a very small measure) and keeps fluency in numbers. Practicing these can improve your counting confidence.
