onze
/ɔ̃z/
The French word for eleven is onze.
onze is the cardinal number occurring after ten and before twelve.
Meaning: the cardinal number occurring after ten and before twelve (num)
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike many other French numbers, onze is invariable and does not change its form based on gender.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɔ̃z/
Did you know?
- In French football, the term le onze is frequently used as a shorthand to refer to the entire starting lineup of a team.
- Unlike the numbers seventeen dix-sept or sixteen seize, onze has no visible 'ten' root in its modern spelling, making it a linguistic outlier in the teens.
- The Latin root 'ūndecim' used for 'onze' is a combination of 'unus' (one) and 'decem' (ten), literally meaning 'one after ten'.
Examples in context
- L'élève a onze crayons.The pupil has eleven pencils.This sentence is useful for showing how to use onze with objects like pencils.Tatoeba #13374229 by Rovo, translation #12709070 by Barend
- Il est déjà onze heures.It is already eleven.This sentence shows how to use onze when telling time.Tatoeba #1771877 by gillux, translation #1618 by CK
- Nous sommes onze, en tout.We are eleven in all.This sentence demonstrates using onze to state a total count of people.Tatoeba #4868362 by sacredceltic, translation #263125 by CH
- Est-ce que tu peux me passer onze stylos, s'il te plaît?Could you pass me eleven pens, please?
- Il y a onze pommes dans le panier.There are eleven apples in the basket.
- J'ai onze cousins.I have eleven cousins.
- La réunion commencera à onze heures.The meeting will begin at eleven o'clock.
- 54 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are counting the eggs in a carton.
- HugoCombien d'œufs y a-t-il ?How many eggs are there?
- ChloéIl y en a onze.There are eleven of them.
- HugoC'est un nombre bizarre pour une boîte.That is a strange number for a box.
- ChloéOui, elle est presque pleine.Yes, it is almost full.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “eleven” translations and entries onze, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries onze, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
