Numbers
Counting, soixante-dix and quatre-vingts.
0 to 20
| 0 zéro | 1 un | 2 deux | 3 trois |
| 4 quatre | 5 cinq | 6 six | 7 sept |
| 8 huit | 9 neuf | 10 dix | 11 onze |
| 12 douze | 13 treize | 14 quatorze | 15 quinze |
| 16 seize | 17 dix-sept | 18 dix-huit | 19 dix-neuf |
20 is vingt. un becomes une before a feminine noun: une heure.
Tens
| 20 vingt | 30 trente | 40 quarante |
| 50 cinquante | 60 soixante | 70 soixante-dix |
| 80 quatre-vingts | 90 quatre-vingt-dix | 100 cent |
The numbers in between join with a hyphen (vingt-deux, trente-cinq), except that 21, 31, 41, 51, 61 and 71 take et: vingt et un, soixante et onze.
70 to 99
From 70, French counts in twenties. 70 is sixty-ten, 80 is four twenties, and 90 is four twenties and ten.
| 70 soixante-dix | 71 soixante et onze | 75 soixante-quinze |
| 80 quatre-vingts | 81 quatre-vingt-un | 85 quatre-vingt-cinq |
| 90 quatre-vingt-dix | 91 quatre-vingt-onze | 99 quatre-vingt-dix-neuf |
quatre-vingts drops its s when another number follows: quatre-vingts ans, but quatre-vingt-un. In Belgium and Switzerland, 70 and 90 are septante and nonante, and some Swiss say huitante for 80.
Hundreds and thousands
cent is 100, deux cents 200, deux cent cinq 205: cent drops its s when another number follows. mille is 1,000 and never takes an s: deux mille. un million and un milliard are nouns, followed by de: un million d'habitants; being nouns, they don't take the s off cent or quatre-vingts: deux cents millions.
French writes a comma for the decimal point and a space between thousands: 2,5 is two point five, 10 000 is ten thousand. 3,50 € is said trois euros cinquante.
First, second, third
Add -ième to the number: deuxième, troisième, quatrième, dixième. "First" is premier, première. A number ending in -e drops it: quatre, quatrième. cinq takes a u (cinquième) and neuf becomes neuvième.
Saying the final consonants
six, dix, cinq, sept, huit and neuf say their last consonant on their own. Before a consonant, six, dix and huit drop it: six livres, "see leevr". Before a vowel they link: six ans with a z, neuf ans with a v.
Cards from this guide
9 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Numbers and time cards.
How do you say 70?
soixante-dix: sixty-ten.
How do you say 80?
quatre-vingts: four twenties.
How do you say 90?
quatre-vingt-dix: four twenties and ten.
How do you say 21?
vingt et un.
How do you say 17?
dix-sept: ten-seven.
What do people in Belgium and Switzerland say for 70 and 90?
septante and nonante.
Does mille take an s in deux mille?
No: mille never changes.
How do you say "first" and "second"?
premier (première) and deuxième.
How do you write two and a half, and ten thousand, in figures?
2,5 and 10 000.