Expressing numbers 70 to 99

In: Level A1, Numbers, Time & Date
Questions: 3

Between 20 and 69, the numbers follow the same pattern:

 
20: vingt  -> 23: vingt-trois
40: quarante   ->  41: quarante et un     
Note: No hyphen with 'et'
 

70 = soixante-dix

In French, we actually say "sixty-ten" (60 + 10) to express 'seventy'.
 
71 = 60 + 11 = soixante et onze    (No hyphen)
72 = 60 + 12 = soixante-douze
73 = 60 + 13 = soixante-treize
74 = 60 + 14 = soixante-quatorze
75 = 60 + 15 = soixante-quinze
76 = 60 + 16 = soixante-seize
77 = 60 + 17 = soixante-dix-sept
78 = 60 + 18 = soixante-dix-huit
79 = 60 + 19 = soixante-dix-neuf
 

80 = quatre-vingts

In French, to express 'eighty', we actually say "four-twenties" 
(4 x 20).
 
Note that quatre-vingts takes an 's' when on its own, but the 's' disappears when it is followed by another number.
 
85 = quatre-vingt-cinq
89 = quatre-vingt-neuf
 
Note also that 81 does "quatre-vingt-un" with no et  inbetween.
 

90 = quatre-vingt-dix

As for seventy, ninety becomes "eighty-ten" (80 + 10) in French.
 
91 = 80 + 11 = quatre-vingt-onze    (Note: NO et, just like 81)
92 = 80 + 12 = quatre-vingt-douze
93 = 80 + 13 = quatre-vingt-treize
94 = 80 + 14 = quatre-vingt-quatorze
95 = 80 + 15 = quatre-vingt-quinze
96 = 80 + 16 = quatre-vingt-seize
97 = 80 + 17 = quatre-vingt-dix-sept
98 = 80 + 18 = quatre-vingt-dix-huit
99 = 80 + 19 = quatre-vingt-dix-neuf
 
 

Numbers + nouns

Ma grand-mère a quatre-vingt-quatorze ans.
My grandmother is ninety-four years old.

Mon oncle a soixante-douze poules.
My uncle has seventy-two hens.

Laurent a dépensé soixante-dix-huit euros hier.
Laurent spent seventy-eight euros yesterday.

J'ai quatre-vingt-trois dollars dans ma tirelire.
I have eighty-three dollars in my piggy bank.

Il y a quatre-vingt-dix-neuf animaux dans ce zoo.
There are ninety-nine animals in that zoo.

Note that to say how many things there are, you simply use the number + thing (plural after 1), for numbers up to 999.

 

For larger numbers, see lesson Expressing large numbers: thousands, millions and billions

Examples and resources

quatre-vingt-huit
eighty-eight

Mon oncle a soixante-douze poules.
My uncle has seventy-two hens.

quatre-vingt-trois
eighty-three

Il y a quatre-vingt-dix-neuf animaux dans ce zoo.
There are ninety-nine animals in that zoo.

quatre-vingts
eighty

soixante-dix-sept
seventy-seven

J'ai quatre-vingt-trois dollars dans ma tirelire.
I have eighty-three dollars in my piggy bank.

quatre-vingt-quinze
ninety-five

soixante-douze
seventy-two

Laurent a dépensé soixante-dix-huit euros hier.
Laurent spent seventy-eight euros yesterday.

quatre-vingt-quatorze
ninety-four

Ma grand-mère a quatre-vingt-quatorze ans.
My grandmother is ninety-four years old.

Q&A

steven

Kwiziq community member

19 April 2018

2 replies

Alternative Numbers

Just a fun fact for those who might not know - A lot of Swiss and Belgians will use septante (70), huitante (80) and nonante (90) to replace soixante-dix, quatre-vingts and quatre-vingt-dix

Chris

Kwiziq community member

19 April 2018

19/04/18

Hi Steven,

that would really make a lot of sense. The number 99 being represented in French as : 4 times 20 plus 19 (quatre-vingt-dix-huit) requires some getting used to. 

-- Chris. 

Cécile

Kwiziq language super star

20 April 2018

20/04/18

Hi Steven,

Your will hear 'octante' also for 80  (quatre-vingt) and a combination of all in Belgium and certain cantons of Switzerland but I believe time are changing...

However, what is certain and that these numbers are very amusing to French ears!

Hope this helps!

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