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

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.

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

Q&A Forum 1 question, 2 answers

StevenB1

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

Asked 2 years ago

Like0Answer2

CécileKwiziq language super starCorrect answer

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!

Like02 years ago

ChrisC1

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.

Like02 years ago

steven asked:View original

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

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