French · Time, Numbers & Colors
"One" in French: un / une
un / une
One in French is un before masculine nouns and une before feminine: un café, une pomme. The same forms work as the indefinite article a/an.
Café counter
Un café allongé, s'il te plaît.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce un / une
Say it
uhn / ühn
/œ̃/ /yn/
Un is a nasal uhn; une is ühn with clearer n. Liaison: un‿ami.
"One" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| un | one / a (m.) Before masculine nouns. | Before masculine nouns. |
| une | one / a (f.) Before feminine nouns. | Before feminine nouns. |
| un seul / une seule | only one Emphasis. | Emphasis. |
| le numéro un | number one Ranking. | Ranking. |
How to use un / une in real life
- 1Café counter
Un café allongé, s'il te plaît.
One Americano, please.
Un + masculine.
- 2Market
Une baguette et une orange.
One baguette and one orange.
Une + feminine.
- 3Counting change
Il me reste un euro pile.
I have exactly one euro left.
Un as number.
Mistakes English speakers make with un / une
Incorrect: Une café.
Correct: Un café.
Café is masculine: un.
Incorrect: Un pomme.
Correct: Une pomme.
Pomme is feminine: une.
Good to know
Un/une doubles as a/an, so learners hear them constantly. For phone digits, un is still un—not always the English 'won' sound.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Ordering at a bakery
ChatPal
Tu prends un croissant ou un pain au chocolat ?
Are you taking one croissant or one pain au chocolat?
You
Un croissant, et une eau.
One croissant, and one water.
ChatPal
Moi une tartelette.
I'll take one little tart.
You
On partage si tu veux.
We can share if you want.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"One" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "One" in French
How do you say one in French?
Un or une, matching the noun's gender.
Is un the same as a?
Yes—context decides number vs article.
How do I choose un vs une?
Un for masculine nouns, une for feminine.
How do you pronounce un?
A nasal uhn.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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