UNIT 04 · Cafés, shopping, and timeMy review
LESSON 17 OF 30

Numbers and shopping

Understand useful numbers and ask about price and size.

Beginner · A1 foundationAbout 15 minutesNot started

What you’ll work on

  • Use numbers in a price.
  • Ask combien ça coûte.
  • Choose ce, cet, cette, or ces with familiar nouns.
READ & LISTEN

A short conversation

Google voice when available; device voice as a fallback. Read along, then try each line aloud.

Alex

Bonjour. Combien coûte cette chemise ?

Hello. How much does this shirt cost?

Shop assistant

Elle coûte vingt-cinq euros.

It costs twenty-five euros.

Alex

Vous avez une taille plus petite ?

Do you have a smaller size?

Shop assistant

Oui. Vous pouvez payer par carte.

Yes. You can pay by card.

Learn numbers in useful groups

Begin with zéro, un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix. Then learn onze through seize, followed by dix-sept, dix-huit, dix-neuf, and vingt.

For standard usage in France, 70 is soixante-dix, 80 is quatre-vingts, and 90 is quatre-vingt-dix. Septante and nonante are used in some other French-speaking regions. This course uses the France forms while recognizing that regional alternatives are valid.

vingt et un / vingt-deuxtwenty-one / twenty-two
trente / quarante / cinquante / soixantethirty / forty / fifty / sixty

Ask a price and pay

Combien ça coûte ? asks how much it costs. C’est vingt euros gives a price. A written French price commonly uses a decimal comma: 12,50 €.

Par carte means by card and en espèces means in cash. If you miss a number, ask for repetition or ask to see it written. This is a practical use for the clarification phrases from Unit 1.

Ça coûte douze euros cinquante.It costs twelve euros fifty.
Je paie par carte.I pay by card.

Point to the item

Ce means this or that with a masculine singular noun, while cette goes with a feminine singular noun. Cet is used before a masculine noun beginning with a vowel sound or silent h: cet article.

Ces is the plural for both genders. Learn the entire phrase: ce livre, cette chemise, ces chaussures. Plus petit or plus petite asks for something smaller, matching the noun.

cette chemise / ces chemisesthis shirt / these shirts
ce livre / cet articlethis book / this item
VOCABULARY

Lesson vocabulary

Listen once, say it aloud, and try to recall the French before looking.

French vocabulary and English meanings
FrenchEnglishListen
combienhow much / how many
coûterto cost
un euroa euro
une chemisea shirt
une taillea size
par carteby card
en espècesin cash
vingt-cinqtwenty-five
EXERCISES

Practice questions

Try every question, then check your answers. Capital letters and punctuation do not affect your score. Accents and ç do matter.

Showing an answer makes that question a practice item worth zero for this attempt. Retry with the answers hidden when you’re ready. If audio cannot play, use Show answer / text to practice by reading.

01Which question asks the price?
02Write 20 in French.
03Choose the phrase for this shirt.
04Listen, then type the short phrase you hear.
Generated voice · You can listen again.
05Choose the standard France form for 70.
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SPEAKING AND WRITING

Independent practice

These are independent practice tasks. The site does not record your voice, save your writing, or grade open-ended answers. Ask a teacher or conversation partner for feedback when you can.

01 / SPEAKING

Speaking practice

Ask the price of an item, request another size, and say how you will pay.

02 / WRITING

Writing practice

Write five imaginary prices in digits and French words.

SELF-ASSESSMENT

Review the lesson objectives

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