seize
/sɛz/
The French word for the cardinal number sixteen is seize.
seize is used to represent the number 16.
Meaning: cardinal number 16 (num)
How do you pronounce it?
/sɛz/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers may mistakenly pronounce the final 'e' as a separate syllable, but the final 'e' is silent and the 'z' sound is produced by the 's' before the 'e'.
Did you know?
- The word seize is a homonym in French, as it is also the imperative form of the verb saisir, meaning 'seize' or 'grab'.
- The word seize comes from the Latin word sēdecim, which combines 'six' and 'ten'.
- The spelling of seize can be deceptive because it looks almost identical to the English verb 'seize', despite having a completely different origin and meaning.
Examples in context
- Il a seize ans.He's sixteen years old.This sentence is useful for expressing someone's current age using seize.Tatoeba #8030908 by theachaean, translation #11559681 by weirdie
- J'aurai seize ans en mai.I will be sixteen in May.This sentence is useful for expressing when someone will turn seize.Tatoeba #429799 by sacredceltic, translation #252587 by CK
- Ces garçons ont seize ans.Those boys are sixteen years old.This sentence is useful for expressing the age of a group of boys using seize.Tatoeba #8419589 by Aiji, translation #2121674 by AlanF_US
- J'ai seize ans.I am sixteen years old.
- J'ai seize ans aujourd'hui.I am sixteen years old today.
- Mon petit frère a aussi seize ans.My younger brother is also sixteen years old.
- Elle a obtenu son permis de conduire à seize ans.She got her driver's license at sixteen years old.
- 26 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Chloé are looking at a price tag in a shop.
- NathanC'est seize euros ?Is it sixteen euros?
- ChloéOui, c'est seize euros.Yes, it is sixteen euros.
- NathanC'est un peu cher.It's a bit expensive.
- ChloéC'est vrai, Nathan.That's true, Nathan.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sixteen” translations and entries seize, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries seize, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
