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dizaine

about ten, a dozen

noun dee-ZEN Less Common

Usage Note

dizaine is a collective approximate number meaning 'about ten' — like une dizaine de personnes ('about ten people'). It differs from dix (exact). Similarly: une douzaine ('a dozen'), une centaine ('about a hundred'). These approximate collectives are very common in spoken French.

Examples

"Une dizaine de personnes attendaient dehors."

Natural Translation

About ten people were waiting outside.

Literal Translation

A ten-ish of people were waiting outside.

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