Why is "Inventing single words for 70, 80, 90 (e.g. *septante, *octante in an exam)." a common mistake in Numbers, dates and time?

Why it happens: English has one word each (seventy, eighty, ninety), so learners expect French to as well — and may have seen the Belgian/Swiss forms. How to avoid it: Remember France-French does the maths: 70 = soixante-dix, 80 = quatre-vingts, 90 = quatre-vingt-dix. Cambridge 0520 uses metropolitan French, so avoid septante/nonante in answers. Source: Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Examiner Reports

Why is "Putting 'et' in the wrong numbers — e.g. *quatre-vingt et un (81) or forgetting it in vingt et un (21)." a common mistake in Numbers, dates and time?

Why it happens: The rule feels random until you see it: 'et' only appears with numbers ending in 1 in the 20s-70s. How to avoid it: Use 'et' (no hyphens) ONLY for 21, 31, 41, 51, 61, 71 (vingt et un, soixante et onze). Use a hyphen and NO 'et' for 81 and 91 (quatre-vingt-un, quatre-vingt-onze). Source: Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Examiner Reports

Why is "Getting the -s wrong on quatre-vingts and cent — e.g. *quatre-vingts-un (81) or *deux cents un (201)." a common mistake in Numbers, dates and time?

Why it happens: Learners either add -s everywhere or never add it, instead of following the 'only when it ends the number' rule. How to avoid it: Keep the -s only when quatre-vingt(s) or cent(s) is the LAST word: quatre-vingts (80), deux cents (200). Drop it when another number follows: quatre-vingt-un (81), deux cent un (201). Source: Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Examiner Reports

Why is "Using ordinals for ordinary dates — e.g. *le vingt-deuxième mai for 22 May." a common mistake in Numbers, dates and time?

Why it happens: English uses ordinals for every date ('the twenty-second of May'), so learners copy that into French. How to avoid it: In French ONLY the 1st is an ordinal: le premier mai. Every other day is a plain cardinal: le vingt-deux mai, le deux mai, le trente et un mai. Source: Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Examiner Reports

Why is "Writing *deux heure / saying the wrong half-past form (*midi et demie)." a common mistake in Numbers, dates and time?

Why it happens: Learners forget heure becomes plural from two o'clock, and that demi(e) agrees with what comes before it. How to avoid it: Use heure for 1 o'clock only; heures for 2+ (deux heures). After feminine 'heure' use demie (sept heures et demie); after masculine midi/minuit use demi (midi et demi). Source: Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Examiner Reports

Why is "Saying age with être instead of avoir — e.g. *Je suis seize ans for 'I am sixteen'." a common mistake in Numbers, dates and time?

Why it happens: Direct translation of English 'I am sixteen' leads to être (to be). How to avoid it: Age uses avoir (to have): J'ai seize ans (literally 'I have sixteen years'). Never drop the word ans. Source: Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Examiner Reports

Language FoundationsCambridge IGCSE French (0520)

Numbers, dates and time

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Numbers, Dates and Time in French — Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 (2025-2027)

Learn to count 0-100 in French, tell the time, and say the date with total confidence — including the famous tricky numbers soixante-dix (70), quatre-vingts (80) and quatre-vingt-dix (90). Perfect for complete beginners.

At a glance

Numbers 0-16 each have their own word; from 17 onwards they follow patterns you can build (dix-sept = ten-seven = 17).
The big trap: 70 = soixante-dix (literally 'sixty-ten'), 80 = quatre-vingts ('four-twenties'), 90 = quatre-vingt-dix ('four-twenties-ten'). French does NOT have single words for seventy, eighty, ninety.
et (and) appears in 21, 31, 41, 51, 61 and 71 — e.g. vingt et un (21) — but NOT in 81 or 91 (quatre-vingt-un, quatre-vingt-onze).
Ordinals ('first, second, third') are made by adding -ième: deux → deuxième (second). The only odd one out is premier / première (first).
Telling the time always starts with Il est… (It is…) plus heure(s) (o'clock) — e.g. Il est trois heures (It is three o'clock).
Past the hour you add minutes or use et quart (quarter past), et demie (half past); before the hour you use moins (minus) and moins le quart (quarter to).
Dates use le + number + month, with NO 'of' and NO capital letter on months — e.g. le 14 juillet (the 14th of July).
Only the 1st of the month is an ordinal: le premier mai (1st May); every other day is a plain number: le deux mai (2nd May).
The 24-hour clock (used for timetables, TV, trains) is simple: dix-huit heures trente = 18:30. No 'half past', just the number of minutes.

What you’ll learn

Mapped to the Cambridge IGCSE 0520 syllabus (2025-2027).

Recognise, say and write the cardinal numbers 0-100 in French, including the irregular forms for 70, 80 and 90.
Apply the spelling rules for hyphens, 'et', and the plural -s on vingt and cent.
Form and use ordinal numbers (premier, deuxième, troisième…) correctly.
Tell the time using the 12-hour conversational system (et quart, et demie, moins le quart).
Read and understand the 24-hour clock used in timetables and announcements.
Say and write dates using 'le + number + month', distinguishing le premier from ordinary days.
Understand numbers, times and dates when heard in Paper 1 Listening and produce them in Speaking and Writing.

Numbers 0-20 — the foundation

Learn these twenty by heart — almost every other number is built from them.

These first twenty numbers are the building blocks for everything else, so it is worth learning them really well. Numbers 0 to 16 are unique words you simply memorise. From 17 to 19, French becomes logical: it literally says "ten-seven", "ten-eight", "ten-nine".

French	Pronunciation (plain English)	English
zéro	zay-ROH	0
un	uh(n)	1
deux	duh	2
trois	trwah	3
quatre	KATR	4
cinq	sank	5
six	seess	6
sept	set	7
huit	weet	8
neuf	nuhf	9
dix	deess	10
onze	onz	11
douze	dooz	12
treize	trez	13
quatorze	ka-TORZ	14
quinze	kanz	15
seize	sez	16
dix-sept	dee-SET	17 (ten-seven)
dix-huit	dee-ZWEET	18 (ten-eight)
dix-neuf	deez-NUHF	19 (ten-nine)
vingt	va(n)	20

Notice the pattern: 17, 18 and 19 are just dix (10) glued to sept (7), huit (8) and neuf (9) with a hyphen. Once you spot this, you have effectively learned three numbers for free.

The little un (one) is special: it changes to une before a feminine noun. So you say un garçon (one boy) but une fille (one girl).

0-16 are unique words — memorise them.
17 = dix-sept, 18 = dix-huit, 19 = dix-neuf (ten + the unit, with a hyphen).
un → une before a feminine noun (une fille = one girl).

Numbers 21-69 — building the tens

Combine a 'ten' word with a unit. Watch out for the little word 'et' in 21, 31, 41, 51, 61.

From 20 to 69, French is beautifully regular. You take the tens word and add the unit, joining them with a hyphen.

Tens	French	Pronunciation	English
20	vingt	va(n)	twenty
30	trente	tront	thirty
40	quarante	ka-RONT	forty
50	cinquante	sank-ONT	fifty
60	soixante	swah-SONT	sixty

The rule for the in-between numbers:

For numbers ending in 1, you insert et (and) with NO hyphens: vingt et un (21), trente et un (31), quarante et un (41), cinquante et un (51), soixante et un (61).
For every other unit (2-9), you use a hyphen and NO 'et': vingt-deux (22), trente-trois (33), quarante-cinq (45), soixante-neuf (69).

Worked mini-example — write 47 in French.

Find the tens: 40 = quarante.
Find the unit: 7 = sept.
The unit is not 1, so join with a hyphen: quarante-sept. ✓

Worked mini-example — write 61 in French.

Tens: 60 = soixante.
Unit: 1, so use et un (no hyphens).
Result: soixante et un. ✓

Tens to learn: vingt(20), trente(30), quarante(40), cinquante(50), soixante(60).
…et un for numbers ending in 1 (vingt et un = 21) — no hyphens.
Hyphen for units 2-9 (vingt-deux = 22).

The tricky numbers: 70, 80, 90 (and beyond)

French has no single word for seventy, eighty or ninety — it does the maths instead.

How 70, 80 and 90 are built: 60 + 10, 4 × 20, and (4 × 20) + 10.

This is the part of French numbers that surprises every beginner, so take it slowly. Standard ("metropolitan") French does not have separate words for 70, 80 and 90. Instead, it builds them out of 60 and 20 using simple arithmetic.

70 = soixante-dix — literally "sixty-ten" (60 + 10). You keep counting in this style up to 79:

Number	French	Maths behind it
70	soixante-dix	60 + 10
71	soixante et onze	60 + 11 (note et + onze, not 'un')
72	soixante-douze	60 + 12
75	soixante-quinze	60 + 15
79	soixante-dix-neuf	60 + 19

80 = quatre-vingts — literally "four twenties" (4 × 20 = 80). It takes a plural -s when it stands exactly on 80.

Number	French	Maths behind it
80	quatre-vingts	4 × 20
81	quatre-vingt-un	80 + 1 (NO 'et', and the -s is dropped)
82	quatre-vingt-deux	80 + 2
89	quatre-vingt-neuf	80 + 9

90 = quatre-vingt-dix — literally "four-twenties-ten" (80 + 10).

Number	French	Maths behind it
90	quatre-vingt-dix	80 + 10
91	quatre-vingt-onze	80 + 11
95	quatre-vingt-quinze	80 + 15
99	quatre-vingt-dix-neuf	80 + 19

100 = cent — at last, a single word again! (sont → "son").

Worked mini-example — say 76. Think "60 + 16": soixante-seize. ✓

Worked mini-example — say 92. Think "80 + 12" = "(4×20) + 12": quatre-vingt-douze. ✓

70 = soixante-dix (60+10); keep adding: 71 = soixante et onze, 75 = soixante-quinze.
80 = quatre-vingts (4×20) — the only time it takes -s; 81 = quatre-vingt-un (no -s, no 'et').
90 = quatre-vingt-dix (80+10); 91 = quatre-vingt-onze, 95 = quatre-vingt-quinze.
100 = cent.

Ordinal numbers — first, second, third…

Add -ième to the number. The only special case is premier/première for 'first'.

Ordinal numbers tell you the position in an order: first, second, third, and so on. In English we add "-th" (four → fourth). In French you almost always add -ième.

English	Cardinal	Ordinal (French)	Pronunciation
first	un	premier / première	pruh-MYAY / pruh-MYAIR
second	deux	deuxième	duh-ZYEM
third	trois	troisième	trwah-ZYEM
fourth	quatre	quatrième	ka-tree-EM
fifth	cinq	cinquième	sank-YEM
ninth	neuf	neuvième	nuh-VYEM
tenth	dix	dixième	dee-ZYEM

The rules for forming ordinals:

First is the exception: premier (masculine) / première (feminine). e.g. le premier étage (the first floor), la première fois (the first time).
For all others, take the number and add -ième: trois → troisième.
If the number ends in a silent -e, drop it first: quatre → quatrième, onze → onzième.
cinq adds a u before -ième: cinquième. And neuf changes its f to a v: neuvième.

Ordinals are written in short form with a small superscript: 1er (premier), 1re (première), 2e or 2ème (deuxième).

Worked mini-example — 'the 7th day'. Cardinal 7 = sept. Add -ième → septième. "The 7th day" = le septième jour. ✓

premier / première = first (the only irregular ordinal).
All others: number + -ième (deuxième, troisième, dixième).
Drop a final silent -e first (quatre → quatrième); cinq → cinquième; neuf → neuvième.
Short forms: 1er, 1re, 2e/2ème.

Telling the time — Il est… heures

Start with 'Il est', say the hour + 'heure(s)', then add the minutes or et quart / et demie / moins le quart.

The four key phrases positioned where they fall on the clock: pile (exactly on the hour), et quart (+15), et demie (+30), moins le quart (−15).

Every time expression begins with Il est… (It is…) followed by the number and the word heure ("hour" / "o'clock"). The word becomes plural heures for two o'clock and beyond.

French	English
Quelle heure est-il ?	What time is it?
Il est une heure.	It is one o'clock.
Il est deux heures.	It is two o'clock.
Il est midi.	It is midday / noon.
Il est minuit.	It is midnight.

Minutes PAST the hour are simply added after heure(s):

Il est trois heures dix. = It is ten past three (3:10).
Il est huit heures vingt-cinq. = It is 8:25.

The three "special" fractions:

et quart = quarter past → Il est quatre heures et quart (4:15).
et demie = half past → Il est six heures et demie (6:30). (After midi/minuit it is et demi with no -e: midi et demi.)
moins le quart = quarter to → Il est cinq heures moins le quart (4:45 — "five o'clock minus a quarter").

Minutes TO the hour use moins (minus):

Il est neuf heures moins dix. = It is ten to nine (8:50 — "nine minus ten").

Worked mini-example — say 7:40. 7:40 is "twenty to eight". In French you count down from 8: Il est huit heures moins vingt. ✓

Worked mini-example — say 2:15. "Quarter past two": Il est deux heures et quart. ✓

Always begin with Il est… and use heure (1 o'clock) / heures (2+).
midi = midday, minuit = midnight (no 'heures' with these).
et quart = :15, et demie = :30, moins le quart = :45.
Minutes 'to' the hour: next hour + moins + minutes (8:50 = neuf heures moins dix).

The 24-hour clock — timetables and announcements

Used for trains, TV, cinema and official times. Just say the hour (0-23) + heures + the minutes.

French uses the 24-hour clock (l'heure officielle) far more than English does — for train and bus timetables, TV listings, cinema times, opening hours and appointments. This is the version you are most likely to hear in Paper 1 Listening.

It is actually easier than the conversational system, because there is no et quart, et demie or moins — you simply say the hour (from 0 to 23) followed by heures and then the exact number of minutes.

24-hour time	French	Meaning
13:00	treize heures	1 p.m.
14:30	quatorze heures trente	2:30 p.m.
18:45	dix-huit heures quarante-cinq	6:45 p.m.
20:15	vingt heures quinze	8:15 p.m.
00:00	zéro heure	midnight
23:55	vingt-trois heures cinquante-cinq	11:55 p.m.

Converting from 24-hour to "normal" English: for any time after 12:00, subtract 12. So dix-neuf heures (19:00) = 19 − 12 = 7 p.m.

Worked mini-example — understand "Le train part à seize heures trente."

seize heures = 16:00 → 16 − 12 = 4 p.m.
trente = 30 minutes.
Meaning: "The train leaves at 4:30 p.m." ✓

24-hour clock = official time for timetables, TV, appointments.
Format: hour (0-23) + heures + minutes — no quart/demie/moins.
14:30 = quatorze heures trente; 20:15 = vingt heures quinze.
To convert to p.m., subtract 12 from the hour.

Dates — le + number + month

Say the date with 'le' + a plain number + the month. Only the 1st uses an ordinal (le premier).

Months in French are easy to recognise because most look like their English cousins — but remember they are never capitalised mid-sentence.

French	Pronunciation	English
janvier	zhon-VYAY	January
février	fayv-RYAY	February
mars	marss	March
avril	a-VREEL	April
mai	may	May
juin	zhwa(n)	June
juillet	zhwee-YAY	July
août	oot	August
septembre	sep-TOM-bruh	September
octobre	ok-TOH-bruh	October
novembre	no-VOM-bruh	November
décembre	day-SOM-bruh	December

The date formula: le + (number) + (month). There is no word for "of" and no ordinal — except for the first of the month.

le 2 mai = the 2nd of May (say "le deux mai", a plain number).
le 15 août = the 15th of August.
le premier janvier = the 1st of January (the ONLY day that uses the ordinal premier, written 1er).

Days of the week (also never capitalised): lundi (Monday), mardi (Tuesday), mercredi (Wednesday), jeudi (Thursday), vendredi (Friday), samedi (Saturday), dimanche (Sunday).

To give a full date: (day), le (number) (month) (year) — e.g. mardi 14 juillet 2026 = Tuesday the 14th of July 2026. Years are read as ordinary numbers: 2026 = deux mille vingt-six (two-thousand-twenty-six).

Worked mini-example — write "Wednesday 1 March".

Day: mercredi.
The 1st → le premier (ordinal).
Month: mars.
Result: mercredi le premier mars (or simply le premier mars). ✓

Asking the date: Quelle est la date aujourd'hui ? (What is the date today?) → C'est le trois octobre. (It's the 3rd of October.)

Formula: le + plain number + month (le 2 mai = 2nd May). No 'of'.
Only the 1st is an ordinal: le premier (1er) mai.
Months and days are NEVER capitalised mid-sentence.
Years are read as whole numbers: 2026 = deux mille vingt-six.

How it’s examined

Numbers, time and dates appear in all four papers of Cambridge IGCSE French 0520, so they are genuinely high-value to master.

Paper 1 (Listening): prices, ages, phone numbers, quantities, train and appointment times (usually the 24-hour clock) and dates are dictated quickly. Mishearing soixante-dix (70) for soixante (60), or quatre-vingts (80) for quatre-vingt-dix (90), is a classic dropped mark.
Paper 2 (Reading): timetables, opening hours, brochures and calendars test whether you can read official times and dates accurately.
Paper 3 (Speaking): the role-play and conversation routinely ask your age, the time, a price, or to arrange a day/date to meet — fluency with et demie and le + date scores communication marks.
Paper 4 (Writing): describing your daily routine, an event or a holiday requires correct times (je me lève à sept heures) and dates (mon anniversaire est le 12 mars). Accurate spelling of the irregular numbers and correct date format are rewarded under language accuracy.

Examiner tip: in Listening, write the digit (e.g. "75") the instant you hear it rather than trying to spell the word — you can convert it later, and it prevents losing the number while you think about spelling.

Sources: Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Syllabus 2025-2027; Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Specimen Papers (2025-2027); Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Examiner Reports 2022-2024. Last reviewed 2026-06-02.

Master this Topic

Worked examples, formulae, definitions and the mistakes examiners flag — everything you need to push from a pass to an A*.

Take this whole topic with you

Download a branded revision sheet — worked examples, formulae, definitions and common mistakes for Numbers, dates and time, ready to print or save as PDF.

Step-by-step worked examples — Numbers, dates and time

Step-by-step solutions to past-paper-style questions on numbers, dates and time, written exactly the way a tutor would explain them at the board.

1Build the number 87 in French
Getting started
Question
Write the number 87 in French words. (This is one of the numbers beginners find hardest.)
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  French has no single word for 'eighty'. It uses quatre-vingts (four-twenties) = 4 × 20 = 80. So start there.
2. Step 2
  87 is 80 + 7. The unit is sept (seven).
3. Step 3
  When another number follows quatre-vingt, it drops its -s and there is no 'et'. Join with a hyphen: quatre-vingt-sept.
Answer
quatre-vingt-sept (four-twenties-seven = 80 + 7 = 87). Note: no -s on vingt, no 'et'.
Examiner tip
In Paper 1 Listening, candidates often hear quatre-vingt-sept (87) and write 67 or 97 by mistake. Train your ear on the opening 'quatre-vingt…' which always signals the 80s.
2Tell 71 and 91 apart
Building confidence
Question
Write 71 and 91 in French, and explain the difference.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  71 = 60 + 11. Start from soixante (60). Because the unit part is 'eleven' (onze) and it follows the et-un pattern of the 60s, you write soixante et onze (with 'et', no hyphens).
2. Step 2
  91 = 80 + 11. Start from quatre-vingt (80). The 80s and 90s never take 'et', so you write quatre-vingt-onze (hyphen, no 'et').
3. Step 3
  The key contrast: the 60s use 'et' for 61 and 71 (soixante et un, soixante et onze), but the 80s/90s never use 'et' (quatre-vingt-un, quatre-vingt-onze).
Answer
71 = soixante et onze (60 + 11, with 'et'). 91 = quatre-vingt-onze (80 + 11, no 'et').
Examiner tip
Mixing up the 'et' rule is one of the most common written errors. Remember: 'et' appears only in 21, 31, 41, 51, 61 and 71 — never in 81 or 91.
3Say 4:45 the conversational way
Building confidence
Question
It is 4:45 (a quarter to five). Say the time in everyday spoken French.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Every time starts with Il est… (It is…).
2. Step 2
  4:45 is a quarter BEFORE five o'clock, so in conversation French counts down from the next hour: 5 o'clock = cinq heures.
3. Step 3
  'Quarter to' = moins le quart (literally 'minus the quarter'). Attach it to the next hour.
Answer
Il est cinq heures moins le quart. (It is a quarter to five = 4:45.)
Examiner tip
In Speaking, using et quart / et demie / moins le quart naturally shows control of the time system and earns communication marks. The 24-hour alternative (seize heures quarante-cinq) is also correct but sounds more formal.
4Read a train time from a timetable
Getting started
Question
A timetable says: « Départ : 18h30 ». Read it aloud in French and say what time it is in English.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Timetables use the 24-hour clock, so just say the hour, then heures, then the minutes — no quart/demie/moins.
2. Step 2
  18 = dix-huit, so 18h = dix-huit heures. 30 = trente.
3. Step 3
  To convert to ordinary English time, subtract 12: 18 − 12 = 6, so 18:30 = 6:30 p.m.
Answer
dix-huit heures trente = 18:30 = half past six in the evening (6:30 p.m.).
Examiner tip
Listening tracks frequently give departure/appointment times in the 24-hour clock. Note the digits first (18:30), then convert — it stops you losing the number while you think.
5Write the date 'Saturday 1 August 2026'
Stretch
Question
Write Saturday 1 August 2026 correctly in French.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Day of the week (lower-case): Saturday = samedi.
2. Step 2
  The date is le + number + month. But the 1st is the ONE exception that uses the ordinal premier (written 1er), not 'un'.
3. Step 3
  Month (lower-case): August = août.
4. Step 4
  Year as a whole number: 2026 = deux mille vingt-six.
Answer
samedi le premier août 2026 (read: samedi, le premier août, deux mille vingt-six). For every OTHER day you would use a plain number, e.g. le deux août (2 August).
Examiner tip
Writing 'le un août' instead of 'le premier août' is a frequent slip. The 1st of the month is the only date that takes an ordinal; everything else is a plain cardinal (le 2, le 15, le 31…).

Model Answers — Numbers, dates and time

High-scoring sample answers for numbers, dates and time on the Cambridge IGCSE 0520 paper, with examiner-style notes mapping each response to the mark scheme and assessment objectives.

Question 1
Speaking role-play. Your friend asks when you can meet. Suggest a date and a time. Quand est-ce qu'on se voit ? (When shall we meet?)
Model answer
On se voit le mercredi quatorze mai, à quatre heures et demie de l'après-midi. Ça te va ?

(We'll meet on Wednesday the fourteenth of May, at half past four in the afternoon. Does that suit you?)
Why this scores
Scores well because it packs in a correctly formed date (le + plain number + month, lower-case mai), an accurate time using et demie, the clarifier de l'après-midi (in the afternoon), and a natural check question Ça te va ? — all clear communication an examiner rewards.
Question 2
Speaking / Writing. Introduce yourself with your age and phone number. Quel âge as-tu et quel est ton numéro de téléphone ?
Model answer
J'ai seize ans et mon numéro de téléphone est le zéro six, quatre-vingt-douze, treize, soixante-quinze, quarante et un.

(I'm sixteen years old and my phone number is 06 92 13 75 41.)
Why this scores
French phone numbers are read in pairs, which is exactly what trips beginners up. This answer shows control of the tricky numbers (quatre-vingt-douze = 92, soixante-quinze = 75) and the 'et' rule (quarante et un = 41). Note J'ai seize ans — French says 'I HAVE sixteen years' for age.
Question 3
Speaking. You did not catch the time the speaker said. Ask politely for the time and for them to repeat.
Model answer
Pardon, quelle heure est-il, s'il vous plaît ? Pouvez-vous répéter plus lentement ?

(Excuse me, what time is it, please? Can you repeat more slowly?)
Why this scores
Uses the fixed question Quelle heure est-il ? correctly, the polite vous form (s'il vous plaît, pouvez-vous), and a useful repair strategy (répéter plus lentement = repeat more slowly). Asking for clarification is a credited speaking skill, not a weakness.

Key Definitions and Keywords — Numbers, dates and time

Definitions to memorise and the exact keywords mark schemes credit for numbers, dates and time answers — sharpened from recent examiner reports for the 2026 0520 sitting.

Nombre cardinal (cardinal number)
Examiner keyword
A counting number that tells you 'how many': un, deux, trois… up to cent (100) and beyond.
Example
J'ai trois frères. (I have three brothers.)
soixante-dix (70)
Examiner keyword
The French for seventy, built as 'sixty-ten' (60 + 10). There is no single word for 70 in France-French.
Example
Ma grand-mère a soixante-dix ans. (My grandmother is seventy.)
quatre-vingts (80)
Examiner keyword
The French for eighty, literally 'four twenties' (4 × 20). Takes a plural -s only when it ends the number exactly.
Example
Il y a quatre-vingts élèves. (There are eighty pupils.) — but quatre-vingt-un (81).
quatre-vingt-dix (90)
Examiner keyword
The French for ninety, built as 'four-twenties-ten' (80 + 10).
Example
quatre-vingt-dix-neuf (99 = 80 + 19).
Nombre ordinal (ordinal number)
Examiner keyword
A number showing position in order (first, second…). Formed with -ième, except premier/première (first).
Example
C'est ma première fois. (It's my first time.) / le deuxième étage (the second floor).
Il est… heure(s) (It is… o'clock)
Examiner keyword
The fixed way to tell the time. heure (singular) for one o'clock; heures (plural) from two onwards.
Example
Il est une heure. / Il est dix heures. (It is one o'clock / ten o'clock.)
et quart / et demie / moins le quart
Examiner keyword
Quarter past / half past / quarter to. et quart = +15 min, et demie = +30 min, moins le quart = the next hour −15 min.
Example
Il est huit heures et demie. (It is half past eight, 8:30.)
L'heure officielle (the 24-hour clock)
The official time system (0-23 h) for timetables, TV and appointments: hour + heures + minutes, with no quart/demie/moins.
Example
vingt heures quinze (20:15 = 8:15 p.m.).
le + number + month (date formula)
Examiner keyword
The structure for saying a date. No word for 'of', no capital on the month, plain number — except le premier for the 1st.
Example
le quatorze juillet (the 14th of July) / le premier janvier (1 January).
avoir … ans (to be … years old)
French expresses age with the verb avoir (to have), not être (to be): literally 'to have … years'.
Example
J'ai quinze ans. (I am fifteen — literally 'I have fifteen years'.)

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions — Numbers, dates and time

The traps other students keep falling into on numbers, dates and time questions — taken from recent Cambridge IGCSE 0520 examiner reports and mark schemes — and how to avoid them.

✕Inventing single words for 70, 80, 90 (e.g. *septante, *octante in an exam).
Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Examiner Reports
Why it happens
English has one word each (seventy, eighty, ninety), so learners expect French to as well — and may have seen the Belgian/Swiss forms.
How to avoid it
Remember France-French does the maths: 70 = soixante-dix, 80 = quatre-vingts, 90 = quatre-vingt-dix. Cambridge 0520 uses metropolitan French, so avoid septante/nonante in answers.
✕Putting 'et' in the wrong numbers — e.g. *quatre-vingt et un (81) or forgetting it in vingt et un (21).
Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Examiner Reports
Why it happens
The rule feels random until you see it: 'et' only appears with numbers ending in 1 in the 20s-70s.
How to avoid it
Use 'et' (no hyphens) ONLY for 21, 31, 41, 51, 61, 71 (vingt et un, soixante et onze). Use a hyphen and NO 'et' for 81 and 91 (quatre-vingt-un, quatre-vingt-onze).
✕Getting the -s wrong on quatre-vingts and cent — e.g. *quatre-vingts-un (81) or *deux cents un (201).
Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Examiner Reports
Why it happens
Learners either add -s everywhere or never add it, instead of following the 'only when it ends the number' rule.
How to avoid it
Keep the -s only when quatre-vingt(s) or cent(s) is the LAST word: quatre-vingts (80), deux cents (200). Drop it when another number follows: quatre-vingt-un (81), deux cent un (201).
✕Using ordinals for ordinary dates — e.g. *le vingt-deuxième mai for 22 May.
Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Examiner Reports
Why it happens
English uses ordinals for every date ('the twenty-second of May'), so learners copy that into French.
How to avoid it
In French ONLY the 1st is an ordinal: le premier mai. Every other day is a plain cardinal: le vingt-deux mai, le deux mai, le trente et un mai.
✕Writing *deux heure / saying the wrong half-past form (*midi et demie).
Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Examiner Reports
Why it happens
Learners forget heure becomes plural from two o'clock, and that demi(e) agrees with what comes before it.
How to avoid it
Use heure for 1 o'clock only; heures for 2+ (deux heures). After feminine 'heure' use demie (sept heures et demie); after masculine midi/minuit use demi (midi et demi).
✕Saying age with être instead of avoir — e.g. *Je suis seize ans for 'I am sixteen'.
Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Examiner Reports
Why it happens
Direct translation of English 'I am sixteen' leads to être (to be).
How to avoid it
Age uses avoir (to have): J'ai seize ans (literally 'I have sixteen years'). Never drop the word ans.

Past paper style quiz

Get a report showing which sub-topics you've nailed and which ones still need work.

Numbers, dates and time

Detailed Notes

What you’ll learn

How it’s examined

1Build the number 87 in French

2Tell 71 and 91 apart

3Say 4:45 the conversational way

4Read a train time from a timetable

5Write the date 'Saturday 1 August 2026'

Nombre cardinal (cardinal number)

soixante-dix (70)

quatre-vingts (80)

quatre-vingt-dix (90)

Nombre ordinal (ordinal number)

Il est… heure(s) (It is… o'clock)

et quart / et demie / moins le quart

L'heure officielle (the 24-hour clock)

le + number + month (date formula)

avoir … ans (to be … years old)

✕Inventing single words for 70, 80, 90 (e.g. *septante, *octante in an exam).

✕Putting 'et' in the wrong numbers — e.g. *quatre-vingt et un (81) or forgetting it in vingt et un (21).

✕Getting the -s wrong on quatre-vingts and cent — e.g. *quatre-vingts-un (81) or *deux cents un (201).

✕Using ordinals for ordinary dates — e.g. *le vingt-deuxième mai for 22 May.

✕Writing *deux heure / saying the wrong half-past form (*midi et demie).

✕Saying age with être instead of avoir — e.g. *Je suis seize ans for 'I am sixteen'.

Past paper style quiz

✕Inventing single words for 70, 80, 90 (e.g. septante, octante in an exam).

✕Getting the -s wrong on quatre-vingts and cent — e.g. quatre-vingts-un (81) or deux cents un (201).

✕Writing deux heure / saying the wrong half-past form (midi et demie).