Numbers and times are the details most often asked for in a French listening task, and they are the easiest to mishear. This lesson gives you a small set of confusable pairs and a habit for checking each one against the sense of the sentence.
It belongs to listening for key information and builds on identifying the requested detail.
Which pairs are worth drilling?
Start with pairs that differ in a single sound.
| Pair | Value | Listen for |
|---|---|---|
| treize / trente | 13 / 30 | the ending: -eize against -ente |
| quatorze / quarante | 14 / 40 | quator- against quar- |
| quinze / cinquante | 15 / 50 | the ending -ze against -ante |
| seize / soixante | 16 / 60 | seize ends in z, soixante ends in ssante |
| quinze / cinq | 15 / 5 | quinze has two syllables and ends in z |
The “-ante” ending belongs to the tens (30, 40, 50, 60). The “-ze” ending belongs to the teens (13 to 16). The ending is more reliable than the first sound.
How do 70, 80 and 90 work?
French builds these from smaller parts.
- 70 is soixante-dix (60 + 10), and 77 is soixante-dix-sept (60 + 17).
- 80 is quatre-vingts (4 × 20), and 85 is quatre-vingt-cinq.
- 90 is quatre-vingt-dix (4 × 20 + 10), and 92 is quatre-vingt-douze.
Hear the first part, then add the rest on paper: quatre-vingt-douze is 80 + 12 = 92.
How are times said?
- vingt heures trente is 20:30. The 24-hour style adds up directly.
- huit heures et quart is 8:15, and huit heures moins le quart is 7:45.
- midi et demi is 12:30, and trois heures et demie is 3:30.
The word moins means “minus”, so huit heures moins le quart is a quarter before eight, not after.
Worked example
Read this announcement aloud, then cover it.
Attention, le train pour Lyon part à quinze heures quarante, quai numéro quatorze.
Question: À quelle heure part le train, et de quel quai?
Step 1. Quinze heures is 15:00, which is 3 p.m. It ends in -ze, so it is a teen and not cinq.
Step 2. Quarante is 40, so the time is 15:40.
Step 3. Quatorze is 14. The platform number ends in -orze, which marks a teen, so it is not quarante.
Answer: 15:40 (3.40 p.m.), platform 14.
What is the mistake to watch for?
A frequent slip is hearing only the start of a long number.
Mistaken answer: 42 for quatre-vingt-douze.
The student heard quatre first and lost the structure.
The correction is to treat quatre-vingt as one block meaning 80, then add what follows: 80 + 12 = 92. Another slip is writing quinze heures as 5:00, which loses 10 hours. Say the number to yourself in English first: fifteen hundred hours, so 3 p.m.
Check yourself
Read each transcript aloud, then cover it.
1. La chambre d’hôtel coûte soixante-dix-sept euros par nuit. How much per night?
Show answer
Soixante-dix-sept is 60 + 17 = 77 euros.
2. Le concert commence à huit heures moins le quart. What time does it start?
Show answer
Moins le quart means a quarter before. A quarter before 8:00 is 7:45.
3. Le bus numéro seize passe toutes les quarante minutes. Which bus, and how often?
Show answer
Seize is 16 and quarante is 40. Bus 16, every 40 minutes.
Where does this lead next?
Next is the last skill in the module: reviewing a missed detail with a transcript. Then use the integrated listening practice to test your pairs.
Your weak pair is personal, and it shows up quickly when a teacher listens with you. Our online one-to-one French tuition uses short live drills for exactly that.