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This lesson focusses on how to form French numbers after 69, as the patterns become more complex then.
Note that French numbers between 0 and 19 are as irregular as in English.
Between 20 and 69, the numbers follow the same pattern:
Between 20 and 69, the numbers follow the same pattern:
20: vingt -> 23: vingt-trois
40: quarante -> 41: quarante-et-un
0 to 10
Note: Before the 1990 Spelling Reform, numbers including et as well as numbers higher than 100 didn’t include the hyphen. Therefore you might encounter numbers such as 41 / 200 written as quarante et un / deux cents. However, nowadays, following the Spelling Reform it is recommended to use hyphens with any numbers lower or greater than 100 (quarante-et-un / deux-cents).
Learn how to count from 70 to 999 in French
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" unless it's followed by another numerical adjective.
Note also that 81 is quatre-vingt-un without et in between.
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
100 = cent
In French, to express one hundred, we simply say cent (never un cent)
When it comes to hundreds, the rule of agreement of cent(s) is the same as for quatre-vingt(s): you write cents unless it's followed by another numerical adjective.
Numbers + nouns
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/billions - in French
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