Chapter 18: Shopping & Style

Expand your vocabulary for clothing and master counting to 100 in French.

Expression of the Day: Asking "How Much?"

When shopping in France, you will need one essential question to ask for the price of any clothing item. Click to listen to the pronunciation:

Ça coûte combien ?

[sah koot kohn-byahhn]

Translation: How much does that cost?

Everyday Outfits: Batch 1

1. Le pantalon [luh pahhn-tah-lohn] — The pants / trousers

Mnemonic Connection: Think of the old-fashioned English word **pantaloons**, which refers to puffy historical trousers.

Pronunciation Example: le pantalon noir [luh pahhn-tah-lohn nwahr] — the black pants

2. La chemise [lah shuh-meez] — The button-down shirt

Mnemonic Connection: Think of a lightweight women's shift or nightgown called a **chemise**. In French, it specifically refers to a classic collared, button-down shirt.

Pronunciation Example: la chemise blanche [lah shuh-meez blahhnsh] — the white shirt

3. Le manteau [luh mahhn-toh] — The coat / overcoat

Mnemonic Connection: Think of a **mantle**, a loose sleeveless cloak worn in historical times. A **manteau** is what keeps you warm.

Pronunciation Example: le manteau chaud [luh mahhn-toh shoh] — the warm coat

Active Recall Checkpoint

Look away. How do you ask "How much does that cost?" out loud? What are the mnemonics for *chemise* and *pantalon*?

Micro-Quiz 1: Test Your Everyday Clothing Vocabulary

1. What does "la chemise" mean in French?

  • A) Chemist / Pharmacist
  • B) Collared button-down shirt

2. Translate: "The coat"

  • A) Le pantalon
  • B) Le manteau

3. Choose the correct spelling for "How much does that cost?":

  • A) Ça coûte combien ?
  • B) Sa coute combien ?
Answer Key & Error Explanations:
1. B is correct. *La chemise* means a button-down shirt. Option A is a false friend!
2. B is correct. *Le manteau* is the coat (linked to "mantle"). *Le pantalon* refers to pants.
3. A is correct. We must spell "Ça" with the special "ç" (cedilla) to make the soft 'S' sound.

Outfits: Batch 2

4. Les chaussures [lay shoh-soor] — The shoes

Mnemonic Connection: Imagine wearing special **shoes** to walk around on a car's metal frame, the **chassis**. Chassis sounds like *chaussures*. Or imagine putting on fancy shoes to go to a **show, sir**.

Pronunciation Example: les chaussures rouges [lay shoh-soor roozh] — the red shoes

5. La robe [lah rohb] — The dress

Mnemonic Connection: Think of a cozy bath **robe**, which is a long dress-like garment worn in the morning. A **robe** is simply a **dress** in French.

Pronunciation Example: la robe bleue [lah rohb bluh] — the blue dress

6. Le chapeau [luh shah-poh] — The hat

Mnemonic Connection: Think of a chaperone wearing a large, matching **hat** to be easily spotted. Or think of the word **cap** (chap-eau).

Pronunciation Example: le chapeau vert [luh shah-poh vehr] — the green hat

Active Recall Checkpoint

Look away. How do you say "shoes" in French? What is the word for "dress"? Recite the mnemonics.

Micro-Quiz 2: Test Outfits Batch 2

1. Translate: "The dress"

  • A) La chemise
  • B) La robe

2. Translate: "The hat"

  • A) Le chapeau
  • B) Le manteau

3. Which French word refers to "shoes"?

  • A) Les chaussures
  • B) Les chemises
Answer Key & Error Explanations:
1. B is correct. *La robe* is the dress. *La chemise* is a button-down shirt.
2. A is correct. *Le chapeau* is a hat. *Le manteau* is a coat.
3. A is correct. *Les chaussures* means shoes.

Part 3: Les Grands Nombres (20 to 40)

To talk about prices when shopping, you need to master numbers. French numbers follow a standard base-10 system (like English) up until number 69. Let's study the first batch.

Numbers: 20, 30, and 40

20 — Vingt [vahhn]

Mnemonic Connection: Think of a **vintage** wine. A wine must age for at least **twenty** years to be considered a true **vintage** bottle. Both *vingt* and *vintage* start with "vi". (Note: the 'gt' is completely silent!).

30 — Trente [trahhnt]

Mnemonic Connection: Think of a fashion **trend**. In modern social media, a **trend** usually lasts for exactly **thirty** days before changing. Both *trente* and *trend* sound similar.

40 — Quarante [kah-rahhnt]

Mnemonic Connection: Think of a medical **quarantine**. Historically, a **quarantine** lasted for exactly **forty** days. Both *quarante* and *quarantine* share the "quaran" root!
Active Recall Checkpoint

Look away. How do you say 20 in French? What about 40? Recite the historical connection for 40.

Micro-Quiz 3: Test Numbers 20 to 40

1. How do you write the number 20 in French?

  • A) Vingt
  • B) Trente

2. What is the meaning of "quarante"?

  • A) 30
  • B) 40

3. True or False: The final 'gt' in "vingt" is silent.

  • A) True
  • B) False
Answer Key & Error Explanations:
1. A is correct. *Vingt* is 20. *Trente* is 30.
2. B is correct. *Quarante* is 40 (linked to quarantine's 40 days).
3. A (True) is correct. The 'gt' is silent. It is pronounced as a single nasal sound: [vahhn].

Numbers: 50, 60, & The "Et Un" Rule

50 — Cinquante [sahn-kahhnt]

Mnemonic Connection: Think of the Spanish word for five, **cinco**, or a **cinquefoil** (a plant with a five-lobed leaf). *Cinquante* starts with the historical prefix for **five**.

60 — Soixante [swah-sahhnt]

Mnemonic Connection: Imagine a washing machine **swashing** around **sixty** times. *Soixante* sounds like a wet, watery **swash**.

Grammar Rule: Connecting Numbers

When adding single numbers to tens (like 21, 32, etc.), French follows two simple patterns:
1. The "Et Un" (And One) Rule: For numbers ending in 1 (21, 31, 41, 51, 61), you insert the words "et un" (and one).
— Example: vingt-et-un [vahn-tay-uhn] — 21.
2. The Hyphen Rule: For all other numbers, simply connect them with a hyphen.
— Example: vingt-deux [vahn-duh] — 22.

Active Recall Checkpoint

Look away. How do you write 31 in French? How do you write 32? Explain the spelling rules.

Micro-Quiz 4: Test Numbers 50 & 60

1. Translate: "50"

  • A) Soixante
  • B) Cinquante

2. Choose the correct spelling for 51:

  • A) cinquante-et-un
  • B) cinquante-un

3. Choose the correct spelling for 62:

  • A) soixante-et-deux
  • B) soixante-deux
Answer Key & Error Explanations:
1. B is correct. *Cinquante* is 50. *Soixante* is 60.
2. A is correct. Because it ends in 1, we must insert the words "et un" (and one).
3. B is correct. For numbers other than 1, we connect them with a simple hyphen.

Part 4: The Vigesimal Shift (Base-20 Counting)

Here is where French counting takes a very interesting detour. Instead of continuing with a word like "septante" for 70, standard French switches to a base-20 system (counting by scores).

The Detour: Sixty-Ten (70)

70 — Soixante-dix [swah-sahhnt-dees] — Sixty-ten

Mnemonic Connection: Standard French does not have a separate word for seventy. Instead, they do simple addition: **Sixty** (soixante) plus **ten** (dix) = **seventy** (soixante-dix).

How to Count past 70:

Because 70 is "sixty-ten," the numbers that follow continue counting up from ten!
• 71 = soixante-et-onze [swah-sahhnt-ay-ohnz] — sixty-and-eleven (uses the "et" rule!).
• 72 = soixante-douze [swah-sahhnt-dooz] — sixty-twelve.
• 73 = soixante-treize [swah-sahhnt-trehz] — sixty-thirteen.

Active Recall Checkpoint

Look away. Write down the French words for 70 and 72. Remember that 70 is "sixty-ten" and 72 is "sixty-twelve."

Micro-Quiz 5: Test Seventy (70)

1. How do you write 70 in French?

  • A) Soixante
  • B) Soixante-dix

2. Translate: "soixante-douze"

  • A) 62
  • B) 72

3. Choose the correct spelling for 71:

  • A) soixante-et-onze
  • B) soixante-onze
Answer Key & Error Explanations:
1. B is correct. *Soixante-dix* (sixty-ten) is the standard word for 70.
2. B is correct. *Douze* is 12, so *soixante-douze* is sixty-twelve, which equals 72.
3. A is correct. Because it represents sixty-and-eleven, we include "et" (and) to form *soixante-et-onze*.

Numbers: 80 and 90

The base-20 system becomes even more explicit when we look at 80 and 90.

80 — Quatre-vingts [kah-truh-vahhn] — Four-twenties

Mnemonic Connection: Think of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address: "Four score and seven years ago." A **score** is an old English term for twenty. So, "four score" = **four twenties** = **eighty**! French *Quatre-vingts* literally translates to **four-twenties**.

90 — Quatre-vingt-dix [kah-truh-vahhn-dees] — Four-twenties-ten

Mnemonic Connection: Building on Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, 90 is literally **four-twenties** (80) plus **ten** (10) = **ninety** (4 x 20 + 10).

How to Count past 80:

For 80, we count regular single digits again:
• 81 = quatre-vingt-un [kah-truh-vahn-uhn] — four-twenty-one (Warning: We do NOT use the "et" rule for 81!)
• 82 = quatre-vingt-deux — four-twenty-two.
For 90, we count upward from ten:
• 91 = quatre-vingt-onze [kah-truh-vahn-ohnz] — four-twenty-eleven.
• 92 = quatre-vingt-douze [kah-truh-vahn-dooz] — four-twenty-twelve.

Active Recall Checkpoint

Look away. Explain the Gettysburg Address analogy. How do you write 80 and 90 in French?

Micro-Quiz 6: Test Eighty & Ninety

1. Translate: "quatre-vingts"

  • A) 80
  • B) 90

2. How do you write 90 in French?

  • A) Quatre-vingts
  • B) Quatre-vingt-dix

3. Translate: "quatre-vingt-douze"

  • A) 82
  • B) 92
Answer Key & Error Explanations:
1. A is correct. *Quatre-vingts* is 80 (literally four twenties).
2. B is correct. *Quatre-vingt-dix* is 90 (four twenties ten).
3. B is correct. *Douze* is 12, so four-twenty-twelve equals 92.

Section 7: 100 & Asking for Prices

100 — Cent [sahn]

Mnemonic Connection: Think of a **century** (100 years), a **centurion** (a Roman soldier in charge of 100 men), or the fact that there are 100 **cents** in a dollar.

Grammar Rule: Combining Numbers and Prices

To state the price of an item in Euros, simply write the number, followed by the word **euros** [uh-roh] .
• Example: vingt euros [vahn-tuh-roh] — 20 €. (Note: The silent 't' in vingt links with euros!).
• Example: cinquante euros [sahn-kahn-tuh-roh] — 50 €.

Active Recall Checkpoint

Look away. How do you write 100 in French? How do you say "Fifty Euros" in French?

Micro-Quiz 7: Test 100 & Prices

1. How do you write 100 in French?

  • A) Cent
  • B) Vingt

2. Translate: "vingt euros"

  • A) 20 Euros
  • B) 100 Euros

3. How is "cent" pronounced?

  • A) [sehnt] (pronouncing the 't')
  • B) [sahn] (nasal 'an' with silent 't')
Answer Key & Error Explanations:
1. A is correct. *Cent* is 100 (think of century). *Vingt* is 20.
2. A is correct. *Vingt* is 20.
3. B is correct. The final 't' is silent. It is a soft nasal sound: [sahn].

Dialogue: Au Magasin (At the Store)

A customer seeks help from a clothing vendor.

V
Vendeur

Bonjour ! Je peux vous aider ?

[bohn-zhoor ! zhuh puh vooz ay-day ?]

(Hello! Can I help you?)

Oui, je cherche un pantalon noir.

[wee, zhuh shehrsh uhn pahhn-tah-lohn nwahr]

(Yes, I'm looking for black pants.)
C
Client
V
Vendeur

Quelle est votre taille ?

[kehl ay vohtr tah-yuh ?]

(What is your clothing size?)

Le Coin Culturel: Les Soldes (The Sales)

Shopping in France is heavily regulated by the government. Retail stores are only permitted to run clearance sales twice a year: **Les Soldes d'Hiver** (Winter Sales in January) and **Les Soldes d'Été** (Summer Sales in July). These sales run for four weeks, with prices slashed progressively by up to 70%!

Interactive Game: Price Check Challenge

Click the play button to hear a price in French, then choose the matching number button below.

New Vocabulary

Study these new words and their pronunciations before practicing with flashcards. Click the speaker icon to hear the audio:

English Word / Phrase French Translation Listen
the skirt la jupe
the jacket la veste
the socks les chaussettes
the suit le costume
the tie la cravate
the sweater le pull
the boots les bottes
the t-shirt le t-shirt
the belt la ceinture
the gloves les gants
the glasses les lunettes
the umbrella le parapluie
expensive (f) chère
cheap / inexpensive bon marché
a discount une réduction

Dress for Success Offline

Import these clothing items and large numbers to practice vocabulary on the go.

Import Chapter 18 Flashcards

The "Know by Heart" Capstone

Achieve total self-contained mastery by completing the three tiers below.

Tier 1: Recognition (Multiple Choice)

Question 1: Which of the following is the correct translation of "the hat"?

Question 2: What is the math behind the French word "quatre-vingts" (80)?

Question 3: How do you write 71 in French?

Tier 2: Assisted Production (Fill-in-the-Blank)

Question 4: "Le chapeau coûte euros." (The hat costs 50 euros. — Clue: Spell the number 50 in French, remembering the "five" root!)

Question 5: "Je cherche une bleue." (I'm looking for a blue dress. — Clue: Use the word for dress, which shares a name with a cozy morning robe.)

Question 6: "Le manteau coûte -vingt-dix euros." (The coat costs 90 euros. — Clue: Complete the vigesimal "four-twenties-ten" phrase by spelling 4 in French.)

Tier 3: Unassisted Generation

Question 7: Translate: "How much does that cost?"

Question 8: Translate: "the black pants" (black = noir)

Question 9: Translate: "one hundred euros"

Reveal Conversational Answer Guide & Explanations
Tier 1 Explanations:

Question 1: Correct Answer is B — Le chapeau.
*Why?* *Chapeau* is the word for hat (linked to cap or chaperone). *Le pantalon* means pants, and *La chemise* means a button-down shirt.

Question 2: Correct Answer is B — 4 x 20.
*Why?* *Quatre-vingts* literally means "four twenties," which matches Abraham Lincoln's historical "four score" (a score is 20).

Question 3: Correct Answer is B — soixante-et-onze.
*Why?* 70 is "sixty-ten" (*soixante-dix*), so 71 is "sixty-and-eleven" (*soixante-et-onze*). Option C is only used in Belgium/Switzerland, not standard French.

Tier 2 Explanations:

Question 4: Correct Answer is cinquante.
*Why?* 50 is *cinquante* (linked to the "cinco" or five root).

Question 5: Correct Answer is robe.
*Why?* *La robe* means dress in French (linked to a bath robe).

Question 6: Correct Answer is quatre.
*Why?* 90 is *quatre-vingt-dix* (literally four-twenty-ten).

Tier 3 Explanations:

Question 7: Correct Answer is Ça coûte combien ? [sah koot kohn-byahhn]
*Why?* *Ça* (that) + *coûte* (costs) + *combien* (how much).

Question 8: Correct Answer is le pantalon noir. [luh pahhn-tah-lohn nwahr]
*Why?* "pants" is *le pantalon* (singular masculine noun in French). Colors are placed after the noun, so "black pants" is *le pantalon noir*.

Question 9: Correct Answer is cent euros. [sahn-tuh-roh]
*Why?* 100 is *cent* (think century). Add *euros* directly after the number.

Chapter 17 Course Index Chapter 19