Les nombres 70-1000 / Numbers 70-1000

French numbers 70-99 use a mathematical approach: 70 = “sixty-ten” (soixante-dix),
80 = “four-twenties” (quatre-vingts), 90 = “four-twenties-ten” (quatre-vingt-dix).

Numbers 70-79 (60 + 10-19)

Number	French	IPA	Logic
70	soixante-dix	[swa.sɑ̃t.dis]	60 + 10
71	soixante et onze	[swa.sɑ̃.te.ɔ̃z]	60 + 11
72	soixante-douze	[swa.sɑ̃t.duz]	60 + 12
75	soixante-quinze	[swa.sɑ̃t.kɛ̃z]	60 + 15
79	soixante-dix-neuf	[swa.sɑ̃t.diz.nœf]	60 + 19

Note: 71 uses et: soixante et onze. All others use hyphens.

Numbers 80-89 (4 × 20 + 0-9)

Number	French	IPA
80	quatre-vingts	[katʁ.vɛ̃]
81	quatre-vingt-un	[katʁ.vɛ̃.œ̃]
82	quatre-vingt-deux	[katʁ.vɛ̃.dø]
85	quatre-vingt-cinq	[katʁ.vɛ̃.sɛ̃k]
89	quatre-vingt-neuf	[katʁ.vɛ̃.nœf]

Important: Quatre-vingts (80 alone) has an “s”, but 81-89 have NO “s”.
81 does NOT use et: quatre-vingt-un (not *quatre-vingt et un).

Numbers 90-99 (80 + 10-19)

Number	French	IPA	Logic
90	quatre-vingt-dix	[katʁ.vɛ̃.dis]	80 + 10
91	quatre-vingt-onze	[katʁ.vɛ̃.ɔ̃z]	80 + 11
95	quatre-vingt-quinze	[katʁ.vɛ̃.kɛ̃z]	80 + 15
99	quatre-vingt-dix-neuf	[katʁ.vɛ̃.diz.nœf]	80 + 19

Hundreds: 100-900

Number	French	IPA
100	cent	[sɑ̃]
200	deux cents	[dø sɑ̃]
300	trois cents	[tʁwa sɑ̃]
500	cinq cents	[sɛ̃k sɑ̃]

The “s” rule: Deux cents (200 alone) has an “s”, but deux cent un (201) does NOT.
Same rule as quatre-vingts / quatre-vingt-un.

• cent un (101), cent cinquante (150), deux cent vingt-cinq (225)
• No un before cent: say cent, not *un cent
• No et after cent: say cent un, not *cent et un

1000: Mille

• mille [mil] — 1000. Never takes an “s”: deux mille (2000), trois mille (3000)
• No un before mille: say mille, not *un mille
• mille cinq cents — 1500 / deux mille vingt-quatre — 2024

Common Mistakes

❌ Wrong	✓ Correct	Why
quatre-vingt et un	quatre-vingt-un	No et with 80s
quatre-vingts-trois	quatre-vingt-trois	No “s” on vingt before numbers
deux cents cinquante	deux cent cinquante	No “s” when followed by more
deux milles	deux mille	Mille never takes “s”

Practice Sentences

1. Ma grand-mère a quatre-vingt-cinq ans.
   [ma ɡʁɑ̃.mɛʁ a katʁ.vɛ̃.sɛ̃.kɑ̃]
   My grandmother is 85 years old.
2. Il y a soixante-quinze personnes dans la salle.
   [il i a swa.sɑ̃t.kɛ̃z pɛʁ.sɔn dɑ̃ la sal]
   There are 75 people in the room.
3. Le billet coûte quatre-vingt-dix euros.
   [lə bi.jɛ kut katʁ.vɛ̃.di.zø.ʁo]
   The ticket costs 90 euros.
4. Il y a trois cents pages dans ce livre.
   [il i a tʁwa sɑ̃ paʒ dɑ̃ sə livʁ]
   There are 300 pages in this book.
5. Le billet d’avion coûte sept cent cinquante euros.
   [lə bi.jɛ da.vjɔ̃ kut sɛt sɑ̃ sɛ̃.kɑ̃.tø.ʁo]
   The plane ticket costs 750 euros.

Exercise: Write the Numbers in French

1. 73 →
2. 80 →
3. 91 →
4. 200 →
5. 1000 →

Answers

1. soixante-treize
2. quatre-vingts (with “s”)
3. quatre-vingt-onze
4. deux cents (with “s”)
5. mille