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• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Learning the words from the numbers
• Method 2 of 3: Perfect your pronunciation
• Method 3 of 3: Put the numbers in context

If you are just learning to speak French, one of the first things you want to learn is counting to 10. Counting to 10 is great practice for the rest of the French language, because you can practice your pronunciation of certain letters, such as the "r" and the "u", using sounds that do not exist in Dutch. Once you can count to 10, you will be on your way to communicating in French.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Learning the words from the numbers

1. Start with numbers one through five. When learning to count in a new language, it helps to put the numbers in small groups. Practice with the first five numbers until you memorize the words, then move on to the next five.
   • One is un (uhn).
   • Two is deux (deuh).
   • Three is trois (twah).
   • Four is quatre (cat).
   • Five is cinq (senk).
2. Learn the numbers six through ten. Once you memorize one to five and can rattle them off like that, you're ready to move on to the next round. Pay particular attention six, which is spelled just like in English, but pronounced very differently.
   • Six is six (siese).
   • Seven is sept (set).
   • eight is huit (whiet).
   • Nine is neuf (nurf).
   • Ten is dix (diese).
3. Put all the numbers together to count to 10 in French. Now that you have memorized all the words of the numbers, you can start practicing counting to 10. As in Dutch and English, most other French numbers are based on the first ten digits, so you have a good basis to learn the other numbers as well.
   • If it is difficult to memorize or arrange all the words of the numbers in the correct order, search online for French tale songs for children. The melody helps you to remember, just like in the old days when you learned Dutch.
4. Memorize the French word for "zero". The French word for zero is just like in English zero, but it is pronounced a little differently. The accent in zero indicates that the "e" should be pronounced with a long sound: SEE-roh.

Method 2 of 3: Perfect your pronunciation

1. Pinch your nose for the right sound un to produce. In the French word for a is a nose sound, which does not exist in Dutch and English, so it can be difficult to pronounce it properly. Practice the sound, squeezing your nose slightly with your fingers.
   • You may be able to pinch your nostrils a little while saying the word, just as you do while inhaling.
2. Do mouth exercises for the French you good to pronounce. The French you sounds like in neuf, which is also a sound that does not occur in Dutch and English. This sound, in particular, can be difficult to pronounce when learning French.
   • Start by opening your mouth and a Oh sound. Stretch the sound until your lips flatten, as if you were one w are making a sound.
   • Press your lips together and make one iee sound. This is close to the French you. You may need to keep practicing for a few weeks until it starts to settle on its own.
   • Distinguish the French you from the French ou sound. Although they look similar, you still need to be able to tell them apart if you want to pronounce the French words correctly. The French ou sound is the same as the ou sound in English.
3. Speak French r into your throat. The French r, like in quatre, is a guttural sound, comparable to the ch in Loch Ness. To mimic this sound, press the tip of your tongue against the back of your lower teeth as you say the letter.
   • You can practice saying "rah rah rah" or the French word Ronronner, which means "to spin."
4. Learn the pronunciation without looking at the words. Some number words, such as "six", are spelled the same in French and English. If you mainly speak English, it can be difficult not to pronounce these words in English.
   • This is especially important with words such as zero and six that look like English words, but it is also important with other words, which are pronounced completely differently in French. For example, if you use the word deux you might think that you pronounce it just like "ducks".
   • To practice, make index cards with only the number on it, but without the spelled word in French.
5. Watch French videos online. Watching movies or videos from French speakers will help you get used to the way the language sounds. You don't have to look at the images - you can close your eyes and just listen.
   • Listening to French music also helps, especially slow songs, in which you can hear the words well.
   • Don't worry if you don't understand the words yet. You only listen to the pronunciation and do not need to understand what is being said.

Method 3 of 3: Put the numbers in context

1. Change the gender of un as needed. Because the French word for "one" is also used as the article a, the gender must correspond to the subject, if it is used as an article rather than as a certain amount of something.
   • Make the feminine form by one e at the end adding: une (uun). You say, for example, "Jai une chaise", or "I have a chair."
   • If you are unsure whether a word is masculine or feminine, look at the ending. Some endings, such as -ée or -enne, are always feminine. Other endings, such as -ent or -il, are masculine.
2. Know when to drop the last consonant. There are four digits (cinq, six, huit, and dix) in French, with the last consonant dropped if it precedes another word with a consonant.
   • For example, if you say "ten minutes" in French, you say "dix minutes", but you pronounce it as that min-OET.
3. Use avoir to talk about age. In English you say "I am ten years old", in Dutch you say "I am ten years old", but in French you use a conjugated form of the verb avoir, which means "to have". If you want to say that you are ten in French, you say "J'ai dix ans", which literally means "I have ten years".