Look at these sentences using approximate numbers:
J'ai une dizaine de chats.
I have about ten cats.
Il achète une trentaine de poires.
He is buying thirty or so pears.
Il y avait une centaine de personnes ce jour-là.
There was a hundred or so people that day.
Je veux deux douzaines de pommes, s'il vous plaît.
I want two dozen apples, please.
In French, to express an approximative number (ten or so, about fifteen...), you can add une/deux/trois ... in front of the number and the suffix -aine at the end of it, as follows:
| Number | Approximate |
| 10 / dix | une dizaine |
| 12 / douze | une douzaine |
| 15 / quinze | une quinzaine |
| 20 / vingt | une vingtaine |
| 30 / trente | une trentaine |
| 40 / quarante | une quarantaine |
| 50 / cinquante | une cinquantaine |
| 60 / soixante | une soixantaine |
| 100 / cent | une centaine |
This is the equivalent in English of saying ten or so, around twenty, or fifteen odd. As in English, douzaine (dozen) means 12 rather than being an approximate number, but the construction is the same as for approximate numbers.
Note: These approximate numbers are feminine, and followed by de.
ATTENTION: Whereas you'd tend to say in English dozens and dozens, in French the use of dizaine (ten or so) will be more colloquial: des dizaines et des dizaines.
Des dizaines et des dizaines de personnes sont venues à la foire.
Dozens and dozens of people attended the fair.
Examples and resources
Il y avait une centaine de personnes ce jour-là.
There was a hundred or so people that day.
J'ai une dizaine de chats.
I have about ten cats.
Il achète une trentaine de poires.
He is buying thirty or so pears.
Je veux deux douzaines de pommes, s'il vous plaît.
I want two dozen apples, please.
Des dizaines et des dizaines de personnes sont venues à la foire.
Dozens and dozens of people attended the fair.
Q&A
Chris
Kwiziq community member
6/03/18
Yes, correct.
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
6/03/18
Bonjour Jennifer !
If you wanted exactly 15 apples, then you'd use "quinze".
"Une quinzaine de" is a way to give an approximate amount :)
Bonne journée !
Melody
Kwiziq community member
23/10/16
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
24/10/16
The fact is that "une douzaine de" carries exactly the same nuances of meaning as "a dozen" does in English. In some cases, it can mean exactly twelve
The difficulty here is that whereas in English you only use "dozen", in French, we have equivalent terms for other quantities (dizaine, quinzaine...).
A way to emphasise the "estimation" sense could be to say "environ une douzaine de", but it would sound redundant, as the approximation is already carried in "douzaine". The context is key here.
I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !
Melody
Kwiziq community member
24/10/16
Thanks for the answer. It is very helpful. I'll stop driving myself crazy about this issue!
So many words in French (and in English) depend on context. But not necessarily the same words! I saw that some had asked in the Qs how to know if "son frere" (sorry I can't type accents) meant his brother, or her brother. I've learned enough French to know that the answer to this is one "context is key", as you say.
As to the English use of "dozen', I hadn't thought of it this way, before I read your comment. If say I "I want a dozen eggs", that means "I want exactly a dozen eggs, no more no less."
But reading your comment I thought about me, Melody, saying "There were a dozen people at the meeting". I realized that my meaning would be "There were a dozen people at the meeting, more or less." I would not be saying (=meaning) "There were a dozen people at the meeting, I made an exact count." If I wanted to emphasize the exact number, I would way "There were twelve people at the meeting."
Thanks again, as ever, for your helpful reply.
Melody
Laura
Kwiziq language super star
16/10/16
You'd use one of the following with the number:
environ
à peu près
approximativement
plus ou moins
Jennifer
Kwiziq community member
6 March 2018
1 reply
Une douzaine de means twelve or about twelve
I think I have it now. It is only une douzaine de which can be precisely a dozen or about a dozen, the other -aine numbers are always approximate. Correct?
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
6 March 2018
6/03/18
Oui, c'est bien ça !