la centaine
hundred
C'est un nombre qui se situe autour de cent. Cela veut dire environ cent choses ou personnes.
The French word "centaine" refers to a quantity of approximately one hundred. It is a feminine noun used mostly to indicate an approximate count rather than an exact number.
Meaning:
- Centaine means about a hundred or a hundred or so.
- It signifies an estimate or an approximate number close to 100.
Usage examples:
- Il y avait une centaine de personnes à la réunion. (There were about a hundred people at the meeting.)
- Une centaine d’euros (around a hundred euros)
Differences with synonyms:
-
Cent: This is the exact number 100. Used when precision is needed.
Example: 100 euros, cent élèves (exactly one hundred). -
Centaine: An approximate number, used when the exact number is unknown or unnecessary.
Example: une centaine de pièces (around a hundred pieces). -
Dizaine, dizaine de: Same kind of approximation but for ten units ("about ten").
Example: une dizaine de personnes (about ten people). -
Mille: Exactly one thousand. Not approximate if stated alone without qualifiers.
In summary, "centaine" is useful when talking about a rough estimate close to 100, making it less precise than "cent".
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Examples
Il y a une centaine de personnes ici.noun
There are about a hundred people here.
Des centaines d'oiseaux migrateurs survolent le lac.noun
Hundreds of migratory birds are flying over the lake.
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