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How do you say in French a four-digit number in an address or telephone number? (#772)

25 April 2014 by OffQc

How do francophones in Québec say the address numbers in the image?

As a number on its own when counting, you probably already know how to say 7155 in French:

sept-mille-cent-cinquante-cinq*

But note that when francophones say four-digit numbers in an address, they often employ a shortcut:

soixante-et-onze cinquante-cinq

So, if someone lived in rue des Offcois, you’ll hear people say colloquially:

soixante-et-onze cinquante-cinq, rue des Offcois
soixante-et-onze cinquante-trois, rue des Offcois
soizante-et-onze cinquante-et-un, rue des Offcois
soixante-et-onze quarante-neuf, rue des Offcois

What about telephone numbers?

If someone’s telephone number were 514-555-6542, you might hear:

cinq-un-quatre,
cinq-cinq-cinq,
soixante-cinq quarante-deux

Other people might say:

cinq-cinq-cinq
soixante-cinq quarante-deux,
dans le cinq-un-quatre

My Spanish-speaking friends have a tendency of saying the code régional (area code) like this in French: cinq-cent-quatorze. Although you’d be understood, it’s not how francophones say it. The numbers that make up the area code are said individually: cinq-un-quatre.

It’s common to say the last four digits of a telephone number in pairs (soixante-cinq quarante-deux), but if you find it easier, you can of course also say six-cinq-quatre-deux.

_ _ _

*This is the way you spell 7155 in words according to the orthographe rectifiée for numbers. Basically, you just put a hyphen between everything! You can download a PDF about French spelling changes here.

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Posted in Entries #751-800 | Tagged 514, address, area code, code régional, counting, dans le 514, français québécois, number, orthographe rectifiée, Québécois French | 3 Comments

3 Responses

  1. on 25 April 2014 at 13:29 SN86

    How would you say a 5 digit address as we have in various parts of Montreal?


    • on 26 April 2014 at 13:27 OffQc

      In fact, I wasn’t sure — I can’t remember a time that I’ve ever heard a 5-digit address number pronounced out loud because they’re so rare (or at least for me, they are).

      I asked a francophone from Montréal what she’d say spontaneously for 15345, and she said… quinze-mille-trois-cent-quarante-cinq, in full. I imagine that some people might use a shortcut here too, but without having actually heard one in use, I can’t say yet!


  2. on 27 April 2014 at 01:04 David

    I think it’s even more confusing in France. Voilà: http://youtu.be/WM1FFhaWj9w?t=4m28s



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