Numbers in French: How to Count from 1 to 100 and Beyond
If you’ve started learning French, you’ve probably noticed that numbers in French don’t always follow the tidy, predictable pattern you might expect from English.
Counting feels straightforward up to soixante (60) — and then, without warning, the logic seems to fold in on itself. Seventy becomes “sixty-ten,” eighty becomes “four-twenty,” and suddenly you’re doing quiet mental math just to order two coffees.
The good news is that French numbers aren’t random. Once you understand a handful of patterns, the whole system becomes far easier to remember than it looks at first glance.
Numbers matter for far more than classroom drills — you’ll need them to read prices, understand phone numbers, follow dates, book train tickets, and, for many learners, clear the numeracy and dictation sections of exams like the TEF, TCF, or DELF.
This guide walks through French numbers 1 to 100 and beyond, decade by decade, with pronunciation guidance, the grammar rules that govern how numbers are written, and the mistakes most learners make along the way.
Use it as a step-by-step lesson or bookmark it as a quick-reference chart whenever you need to double-check a number.
French Numbers 1–20
The first twenty numbers are the foundation of French counting, and unlike the decades that follow, most of them simply have to be memorised individually — there’s no shortcut pattern until you reach vingt (20).
The effort pays off quickly, since these numbers appear constantly in everyday French: telling your age, giving a phone number, or naming today’s date.
| Number | French Name | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | un | uhn |
| 2 | deux | duh |
| 3 | trois | trwah |
| 4 | quatre | katr |
| 5 | cinq | sank |
| 6 | six | sees |
| 7 | sept | set |
| 8 | huit | weet |
| 9 | neuf | nuhf |
| 10 | dix | deess |
| 11 | onze | onz |
| 12 | douze | dooz |
| 13 | treize | trez |
| 14 | quatorze | ka-torz |
| 15 | quinze | kanz |
| 16 | seize | sez |
| 17 | dix-sept | deess-set |
| 18 | dix-huit | deez-weet |
| 19 | dix-neuf | deez-nuhf |
| 20 | vingt | van |
French Numbers 21–40
From twenty onward, French numbers become far more predictable. Each decade word (vingt, trente, quarante…) combines with the digits one through nine to build the next ten numbers, and the pattern repeats all the way up to soixante.
| Number | French Name | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | vingt et un | van-tay-uhn |
| 22 | vingt-deux | van-duh |
| 23 | vingt-trois | van-twah |
| 24 | vingt-quatre | van-katr |
| 25 | vingt-cinq | van-sank |
| 26 | vingt-six | van-sees |
| 27 | vingt-sept | van-set |
| 28 | vingt-huit | van-weet |
| 29 | vingt-neuf | van-nuhf |
| 30 | trente | tront |
| 31 | trente et un | tront-tay-uhn |
| 32 | trente-deux | tront-duh |
| 33 | trente-trois | tront-twah |
| 34 | trente-quatre | tront-katr |
| 35 | trente-cinq | tront-sank |
| 36 | trente-six | tront-sees |
| 37 | trente-sept | tront-set |
| 38 | trente-huit | tront-weet |
| 39 | trente-neuf | tront-nuhf |
| 40 | quarante | ka-ront |
French Numbers 41–60
| Number | French Name | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 41 | quarante et un | ka-ront-tay-uhn |
| 42 | quarante-deux | ka-ront-duh |
| 43 | quarante-trois | ka-ront-twah |
| 44 | quarante-quatre | ka-ront-katr |
| 45 | quarante-cinq | ka-ront-sank |
| 46 | quarante-six | ka-ront-sees |
| 47 | quarante-sept | ka-ront-set |
| 48 | quarante-huit | ka-ront-weet |
| 49 | quarante-neuf | ka-ront-nuhf |
| 50 | cinquante | sank-ont |
| 51 | cinquante et un | sank-ont-tay-uhn |
| 52 | cinquante-deux | sank-ont-duh |
| 53 | cinquante-trois | sank-ont-twah |
| 54 | cinquante-quatre | sank-ont-katr |
| 55 | cinquante-cinq | sank-ont-sank |
| 56 | cinquante-six | sank-ont-sees |
| 57 | cinquante-sept | sank-ont-set |
| 58 | cinquante-huit | sank-ont-weet |
| 59 | cinquante-neuf | sank-ont-nuhf |
| 60 | soixante | swa-sont |
Quick pattern check:
- Quarante (40) is the base for 41–49.
- Cinquante (50) is the base for 51–59.
- Soixante (60) opens the next section—and the last “regular” decade before French numbers take an interesting turn.
French Numbers 61–80
This is the range that trips up almost every learner, and it’s worth slowing down for. Standard French (the variety used in France) does not have separate words for seventy.
Instead, seventy is built as soixante-dix — literally “sixty-ten” — and the counting continues by adding onze, douze, treize and so on after soixante, rather than starting a new decade word.
| Number | French Name | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 61 | soixante et un | swa-sont-tay-uhn |
| 62 | soixante-deux | swa-sont-duh |
| 63 | soixante-trois | swa-sont-twah |
| 64 | soixante-quatre | swa-sont-katr |
| 65 | soixante-cinq | swa-sont-sank |
| 66 | soixante-six | swa-sont-sees |
| 67 | soixante-sept | swa-sont-set |
| 68 | soixante-huit | swa-sont-weet |
| 69 | soixante-neuf | swa-sont-nuhf |
| 70 | soixante-dix | swa-sont-deess |
| 71 | soixante et onze | swa-sont-tay-onz |
| 72 | soixante-douze | swa-sont-dooz |
| 73 | soixante-treize | swa-sont-trez |
| 74 | soixante-quatorze | swa-sont-ka-torz |
| 75 | soixante-quinze | swa-sont-kanz |
| 76 | soixante-seize | swa-sont-sez |
| 77 | soixante-dix-sept | swa-sont-deez-set |
| 78 | soixante-dix-huit | swa-sont-deez-weet |
| 79 | soixante-dix-neuf | swa-sont-deez-nuhf |
| 80 | quatre-vingts | katr-van |
French Numbers 81–100
Quatre-vingts sets the pattern for the rest of this range, and quatre-vingt-dix (“four-twenty-ten”) does the same for the nineties.
Once you’ve internalised the logic from the previous section, this range is mostly a matter of practice and repetition.
| Number | French Name | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 81 | quatre-vingt-un | katr-van-tay-uhn |
| 82 | quatre-vingt-deux | katr-van-duh |
| 83 | quatre-vingt-trois | katr-van-twah |
| 84 | quatre-vingt-quatre | katr-van-katr |
| 85 | quatre-vingt-cinq | katr-van-sank |
| 86 | quatre-vingt-six | katr-van-sees |
| 87 | quatre-vingt-sept | katr-van-set |
| 88 | quatre-vingt-huit | katr-van-weet |
| 89 | quatre-vingt-neuf | katr-van-nuhf |
| 90 | quatre-vingt-dix | katr-van-deess |
| 91 | quatre-vingt-onze | katr-van-onz |
| 92 | quatre-vingt-douze | katr-van-dooz |
| 93 | quatre-vingt-treize | katr-van-trez |
| 94 | quatre-vingt-quatorze | katr-van-ka-torz |
| 95 | quatre-vingt-quinze | katr-van-kanz |
| 96 | quatre-vingt-seize | katr-van-sez |
| 97 | quatre-vingt-dix-sept | katr-van-deez-set |
| 98 | quatre-vingt-dix-huit | katr-van-deez-weet |
| 99 | quatre-vingt-dix-neuf | katr-van-deez-nuhf |
| 100 | cent | sahn |
Struggling to keep these decades straight? Numbers are one of the first real hurdles in spoken French, especially for TEF and TCF candidates who need to process them quickly in listening sections. A structured class with a live instructor can turn this from a memorization exercise into an automatic skill.
French Numbers 100 and Above
Counting past 100 in French follows a cleaner, more logical structure than the 60–99 range, which comes as a relief to most learners.
| Number | French Name | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 101 | cent un | sahn-uhn |
| 150 | cent cinquante | sahn sank-ont |
| 200 | deux cents | duh sahn |
| 300 | trois cents | trwah sahn |
| 500 | cinq cents | sank sahn |
| 1,000 | mille | meel |
| 2,000 | deux mille | duh meel |
| 10,000 | dix mille | deess meel |
| 100,000 | cent mille | sahn meel |
| 1,000,000 | un million | uhn mee-lyohn |
| 1,000,000,000 | un milliard | uhn mee-lyar |
How the pattern works
- Cent (100) is used on its own with no article — you simply say cent, not “un cent.”
- From 101 to 199, add the number directly after cent with no et: cent un (101), cent vingt-cinq (125).
- From 200 upward, multiples of 100 add an “s” to cent — deux cents, trois cents — but that “s” disappears again if another number follows, e.g. deux cent deux (202).
- Mille (1,000) never changes form, even in the plural: deux mille, dix mille.
- Million and milliard behave like ordinary nouns and take “un” and a plural “s”: un million, deux millions.
As a general rule of thumb, French numbers stop needing new vocabulary once you know cent, mille, million, and milliard — everything beyond 100 is just a combination of the numbers you’ve already learned.
Regional Differences in French Numbers
The soixante-dix (70) and quatre-vingts (80) constructions covered above are standard in France, but they aren’t the only correct way to count in French.
Belgium and Switzerland use a simpler, more linear system for 70, 80, and 90 — worth knowing if your listening practice mixes audio from different French-speaking regions, or if you’re travelling beyond France.
| Number | France | Switzerland | Belgian French |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | soixante | soixante | soixante |
| 70 | soixante-dix | septante | septante |
| 71 | soixante et onze | septante et un | septante et un |
| 72 | soixante-douze | septante-deux | septante-deux |
| 73 | soixante-treize | septante-trois | septante-trois |
| 74 | soixante-quatorze | septante-quatre | septante-quatre |
| 75 | soixante-quinze | septante-cinq | septante-cinq |
| 76 | soixante-seize | septante-six | septante-six |
| 77 | soixante-dix-sept | septante-sept | septante-sept |
| 78 | soixante-dix-huit | septante-huit | septante-huit |
| 79 | soixante-dix-neuf | septante-neuf | septante-neuf |
| 80 | quatre-vingts | huitante | octante / huitante |
| 81 | quatre-vingt-un | huitante et un | octante et un / huitante et un |
| 82 | quatre-vingt-deux | huitante-deux | octante-deux / huitante-deux |
| 83 | quatre-vingt-trois | huitante-trois | octante-trois / huitante-trois |
| 84 | quatre-vingt-quatre | huitante-quatre | octante-quatre / huitante-quatre |
| 85 | quatre-vingt-cinq | huitante-cinq | octante-cinq / huitante-cinq |
| 86 | quatre-vingt-six | huitante-six | octante-six / huitante-six |
| 87 | quatre-vingt-sept | huitante-sept | octante-sept / huitante-sept |
| 88 | quatre-vingt-huit | huitante-huit | octante-huit / huitante-huit |
| 89 | quatre-vingt-neuf | huitante-neuf | octante-neuf / huitante-neuf |
| 90 | quatre-vingt-dix | nonante | nonante |
| 91 | quatre-vingt-onze | nonante et un | nonante et un |
| 92 | quatre-vingt-douze | nonante-deux | nonante-deux |
| 93 | quatre-vingt-treize | nonante-trois | nonante-trois |
| 94 | quatre-vingt-quatorze | nonante-quatre | nonante-quatre |
| 95 | quatre-vingt-quinze | nonante-cinq | nonante-cinq |
| 96 | quatre-vingt-seize | nonante-six | nonante-six |
| 97 | quatre-vingt-dix-sept | nonante-sept | nonante-sept |
| 98 | quatre-vingt-dix-huit | nonante-huit | nonante-huit |
| 99 | quatre-vingt-dix-neuf | nonante-neuf | nonante-neuf |
What this means in practice
- France: soixante-dix, quatre-vingts, and quatre-vingt-dix are standard and are what Canada-focused exams like the TEF and TCF generally test.
- Belgium: septante (70) and nonante (90) replace the France forms; 80 is usually still quatre-vingts.
- Switzerland: septante (70) and nonante (90) are standard, and huitante (80) is common in several cantons, though quatre-vingts is also understood.
As general guidance rather than a strict rule: if you’re preparing for a Canada PR-focused exam, prioritise the France forms (soixante-dix, quatre-vingts, quatre-vingt-dix) — but recognising septante, huitante, and nonante is a useful bonus if your listening materials include Belgian or Swiss French speakers.
Essential French Number Rules You Need to Know
A handful of grammar rules govern how French numbers are written and combined. Knowing them in advance will save you from the most common stumbling blocks.
1. The "et" rule for numbers ending in 1
Vingt et un (21), trente et un (31), quarante et un (41), cinquante et un (51), and soixante et un (61) all insert et before the final “un.” This rule does not apply to quatre-vingt-un (81) or cent un (101) — those are written without et, which is one of the more commonly missed exceptions.
2. Hyphens
As a general rule, compound numbers under 100 are hyphenated (vingt-deux, quatre-vingt-dix-neuf). In contrast, numbers with et are not (vingt et un). Note that spelling conventions for numbers have shifted over time in French-language publishing. You may see some older texts hyphenate differently — when in doubt for formal writing, following your course textbook or exam board’s standard is a safe approach.
3. Plural agreement on vingt and cent
Both vingt (in quatre-vingts) and cent take a plural “s” only when they end the number and no smaller number follows. As soon as another digit is added, the “s” is dropped: quatre-vingts but quatre-vingt-trois; deux cents but deux cent trois.
4. Elision before vowel sounds
Huit (8) and onze (11) behave differently from other numbers beginning with a vowel sound. Onze does not take elision (l’onze is generally avoided in favour of le onze), while liaison and elision patterns around huit can vary — this is a nuance worth confirming with a teacher or textbook for your specific exam level, since usage guidance differs slightly by source.
How to Pronounce French Numbers
French Pronunciation is where most self-taught learners lose confidence, mainly because French relies heavily on liaison (linking the final sound of one word to the beginning of the next) and nasal vowels that don’t exist in English.
Key pronunciation habits to build
- Practise nasal vowels separately: the “an” in quarante, the “in” in vingt, and the “on” in the -ante endings are distinct nasal sounds worth isolating in practice.
- Listen for liaison: in dix-huit, the “x” of dix links to the “h” sound, producing “dee-zweet” rather than two separate words.
- Say numbers in context, not isolation: reciting 1–20 in a list is useful for memorisation, but pronunciation sticks faster when you practise numbers inside phrases — dates, prices, and phone numbers.
- Record yourself and compare: because French numbers rely on subtle vowel and liaison differences, comparing your own recording against a native speaker is one of the fastest ways to self-correct.
As general advice rather than a strict rule, many teachers recommend mastering 1–20 and the six decade words (vingt, trente, quarante, cinquante, soixante, cent) to fluency before worrying about speed — the rest of the system builds on those building blocks.
Common Mistakes When Learning French Numbers
1. Forgetting the "et" in numbers ending in 1
Writing or saying vingt-un instead of vingt et un is one of the most frequent slips, especially for learners translating directly from English “twenty-one.”
2. Treating 70, 80, and 90 like new decades
Because soixante-dix, quatre-vingts, and quatre-vingt-dix don’t introduce new decade words, learners often try to memorise them as if they were unrelated new vocabulary, rather than combinations of numbers they already know. Approaching them as “soixante + the numbers 10–19” and “quatre-vingt + the numbers 0–19” tends to make them easier to retain.
3. Mixing up cent and cents
Dropping the “s” on cent when it should be there (or adding it when it shouldn’t be) is an easy mistake — remember, the “s” only appears when cent ends the number with nothing after it.
4. Confusing regional variants
If your listening practice mixes French, Belgian, and Swiss content, you may encounter septante, huitante, or nonante and assume you’ve misheard soixante-dix or quatre-vingt-dix. Both systems are correct French, but exam boards for Canada-focused certifications generally test standard French usage.
5. Rushing pronunciation before accuracy
It’s tempting to speed through numbers once you’ve memorised the list, but speaking too quickly before the liaison and nasal sounds are solid often leads to numbers that are hard for native speakers to follow — accuracy first, speed second.
Conclusion
Numbers in French look intimidating on paper, but they’re built from a small set of repeating patterns rather than hundreds of separate words to memorise.
Once 1–20 and the decade words are second nature, the rest of the system — including the quirky soixante-dix and quatre-vingts constructions — is really just recombination. Rules like the “et” before un, hyphenation, and plural agreement on vingt and cent add polish once the basics are in place.
The most effective way to lock in French numbers is regular, low-pressure practice: reading prices aloud, saying today’s date in French, or working through past exam listening sections if you’re preparing for the TEF, TCF, or DELF.
Keep this guide handy as a reference, and revisit the sections on pronunciation and common mistakes whenever a number trips you up.
Frequently Asked Questions
French numbers are generally written as words in formal writing, following the rules covered above: hyphens between most compound elements (quatre-vingt-douze), et before a final un in numbers like vingt et un, and plural "s" on cent and vingt only when they end the number with nothing following. For numerals (digits), French uses a comma where English uses a decimal point, and often a space instead of a comma for thousands — for example, 1 000 rather than 1,000 — though formatting conventions can vary by country and publisher, so it's worth checking your specific exam board's style guide if precision matters.
Pronunciation depends heavily on nasal vowels and liaison. As a general approach: learn the base numbers 1–20 individually, learn the six decade words (vingt, trente, quarante, cinquante, soixante, cent), and pay close attention to liaison in compounds like dix-huit and vingt et un, where sounds link across word boundaries.
Listening to native speakers and repeating numbers in context — rather than reciting them in isolation — is widely recommended for building accurate pronunciation.
This is a base-20 (vigesimal) counting pattern that survives from earlier stages of the French language, rather than a modern simplification. It's a genuine feature of standard French rather than an error, though Belgian and Swiss French commonly avoid it in favour of octante or huitante.
