Numbers 21–100
Soixante-dix, quatre-vingts…
From 21 to 69, French numbers work like English. From 70 to 99 they use an old counting system based on 20.
21 to 69
- 20 vingt, 30 trente, 40 quarante, 50 cinquante, 60 soixante
- 21, 31, 41, 51, 61 use et: vingt et un, trente et un…
- The others use a hyphen: vingt-deux, trente-cinq, quarante-huit.
70 to 79: 60 + 10…19
- 70 soixante-dix (60+10)
- 71 soixante et onze (60+11)
- 72 soixante-douze
- 75 soixante-quinze
- 79 soixante-dix-neuf
80 to 99: 4 × 20 + …
- 80 quatre-vingts (4×20)
- 81 quatre-vingt-un (no et!)
- 85 quatre-vingt-cinq
- 90 quatre-vingt-dix (4×20+10)
- 91 quatre-vingt-onze
- 99 quatre-vingt-dix-neuf
Quatre-vingts takes an s only when nothing follows it: quatre-vingts ans, but quatre-vingt-trois.
100
- 100 cent, 101 cent un, 200 deux cents
Belgium and Switzerland
They use simpler words: septante (70), nonante (90), and in parts of Switzerland huitante (80).
Phone numbers
French phone numbers are read in pairs: 06 12 34 56 78 = zéro six, douze, trente-quatre, cinquante-six, soixante-dix-huit.
Practice
- 31 = _____
Show the answer
trente et un
- 70 = _____
Show the answer
soixante-dix
- 80 = _____
Show the answer
quatre-vingts
- 75Options: soixante-quinze · septante-cinq-dix · soixante-cinq
Show the answer
soixante-quinze
In the app, this lesson is taught one idea at a time with the examples read aloud, followed by questions that explain the rule when you get one wrong. It then comes back for review on later days until you've mastered it.