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I am at the beginner level of French. I came across some numbers and their French equivalent. I am confused whether it will be cent/cents in 310?

I noticed that generally it should be plural if the quantity is more than one, so it has to be cents in the French for 310. But I saw one answer where it is trois cent dix.

Please help me understand this concept around numbers.

Lambie
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Aadil Hoda
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  • Some related questions: https://french.stackexchange.com/questions/7754/do%c3%b9-viennent-les-r%c3%a8gles-complexes-des-pluriels-de-vingt-cent-et-mille-et-po

    https://french.stackexchange.com/questions/13312/large-numbers-in-french

     – livresque Apr 25 '22 at 22:19

3 Answers3

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When cent is followed by another number, it does not take an "s": trois cent dix.

It's only cents when that is the end of the number: deux cents (200), trois cents (300), mille quatre cents (1400).

lkl
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In addition to lkl right answer, note that numbers from 1100 to 1999, especially years, can be written either mille cent, mille deux-cent up to mille neuf cent or onze cent, douze cents, up to dix-neuf cents, so 1789 is either mille sept cent quatre-vingt-neuf or dix-sept cent quatre-vingt-neuf. For years before the 19th century, the second form (multiples of one hundred) is much more prevalent. All French people learned at school about the French battle against the Swiss in 1515 at Marignan. It is always pronounced quinze cent quinze and never mille cinq cent quinze.

Since the 1990 reform, note also that you can use hyphens in composed numbers: trois-cents (300), trois-cent-dix (310), mille-sept-cent-quatre-vingt-neuf (1789).

jlliagre
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C'est une règle pour l’écriture des nombres en français, ont met un S uniquement quand le nombre n'est pas suivi de chiffre et que pour 100. A part pour remplir des chèques, on ne s'en sert pas souvent et même je suis sûr que même mal orthographié, le chèque passe.

jolrael
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