Hundreds, Thousands
In French, three basic words—cent (hundred), mille (thousand), and million (million)—serve as the foundation for expressing large numbers. Let’s look at cent and mille in detail, followed by rules and examples for forming numbers up to the thousands.
Key Words for Large Numbers
- cent (hundred)
- mille (thousand)
- million (million) – not plural in English, but plural in French: millions
French and English Vocabulary
| French Singular | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| cent | cents | hundred | hundreds |
| mille | (no plural) | thousand | thousands |
| million | millions | million | millions |
The plural cents is used only when cent is multiplied and is at the end of the number (e.g., deux cents = 200). If followed by another number, it remains singular (e.g., deux cent un = 201).
Forming Hundreds
- cent = 100
- Multiply by placing number before cent (2–9): deux cents = 200, trois cents =
- Plural cents adds -s only if cent is multiplied and appears at the end of the number
- For additional numbers, add them after cent with a space: cent un = 101, deux cent cinquante =
Hundreds Table
| French | English |
|---|---|
| cent | one hundred |
| deux cents | two hundred |
| trois cents | three hundred |
| quatre cents | four hundred |
| cinq cents | five hundred |
| six cents | six hundred |
| sept cents | seven hundred |
| huit cents | eight hundred |
| neuf cents | nine hundred |
| cent un | one hundred one |
When do you add "-s" to "cent" in French?
- Add -s when cent is multiplied (e.g., deux cents) and stands at the end of the number. If followed by other numbers, do not add -s (e.g., deux cent un).
- Add -s only if cent is preceded by a number and appears at the very end of the number phrase. Otherwise, cent stays singular.
- When cent is multiplied by a number and there are no other digits after it, you add -s. If more numbers follow, cent remains singular.
In French, cent takes an -s (cents) only when it is multiplied (preceded by a number greater than one) and is at the end of the number phrase. If any other number follows, cent remains singular (e.g., deux cent un). This rule helps avoid confusion.
Forming Thousands
- mille = 1,000
- Unlike cent, mille never takes an -s in plural
- For multiples, place the number before mille: deux mille = 2,000, dix mille = 10,
- Combine with hundreds and tens as usual: mille cent = 1,100, deux mille trois cents = 2,
Thousands Table
| French | English |
|---|---|
| mille | one thousand |
| deux mille | two thousand |
| trois mille | three thousand |
| quatre mille | four thousand |
| cinq mille | five thousand |
| dix mille | ten thousand |
| vingt mille | twenty thousand |
| trente mille | thirty thousand |
| mille cent | one thousand one hundred |
| deux mille trois cents | two thousand three hundred |
Examples: Combining Hundreds and Thousands
- mille deux cents = 1,
- trois mille quatre cent cinquante = 3,
- dix mille six cent = 10,
- vingt mille neuf cents quatre-vingt-dix-neuf = 20,
Hundreds and Thousands Table
| French | English |
|---|---|
| mille deux cents | one thousand two hundred |
| trois mille quatre cent cinquante | three thousand four hundred fifty |
| dix mille six cent | ten thousand six hundred |
| vingt mille neuf cents | twenty thousand nine hundred |
| trente mille cinq cents | thirty thousand five hundred |
| quarante mille | forty thousand |
| cinquante mille | fifty thousand |
| soixante mille | sixty thousand |
| quatre-vingt mille | eighty thousand |
| quatre-vingt-dix-neuf mille neuf cents | ninety-nine thousand nine hundred |
Special Notes
- For numbers beyond 1,000,000, use million (plural millions!), which behaves like a noun and takes de before a following number: un million deux cent mille = 1,200,
- Do not use plural -s on mille (one thousand) but do on million and milliard (billion) when plural
Summary
| French | English |
|---|---|
| cent, deux cents, cent un | hundred, two hundred, hundred one |
| mille, deux mille, mille cent | thousand, two thousand, thousand one hundred |
| trois mille, dix mille, vingt mille | three thousand, ten thousand, twenty thousand |
You can build any number up to 999,999 by combining these parts.
Flashcards (1 of 36)
- English Singular: hundred
- English Plural: hundreds
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
