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Ils ont douze idées et treize clients.

Ils ont douze idées et treize clients.
They have twelve ideas and thirteen clients.
From Lesson 28:Numbers 1 to 20·French

Questions & Answers about Ils ont douze idées et treize clients.

Is there a pattern to help remember numbers like douze and treize?
Yes! The French numbers 11 through 16 all end in -ze (onze, douze, treize, quatorze, quinze, seize). You can think of it as a pattern similar to the English "-teen" ending, but it starts a little earlier at eleven.
Do numbers need an "s" added to them when they describe plural words like idées and clients?
No, cardinal numbers (the numbers we use for basic counting) do not change their spelling or add an "s" to match plural nouns. Only the nouns themselves (idées, clients) get the plural "s" at the end.
I often confuse ils ont (they have) with ils sont (they are). How do I tell them apart when speaking?
The secret is in the first sound of the second word! Because ont starts with a vowel, the "s" in ils slides into it to make a Z sound (pronounced like eel-ZON). But sont starts with an "s", so ils sont makes a sharp S sound (pronounced like eel-SON).
Since idées starts with a vowel, do I connect the pronunciation of douze and idées?
Yes! When speaking, you should let the final Z sound of douze flow directly into the vowel sound of idées. This smooth blending makes your spoken French sound much more natural.

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