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French numbers from 0 to a million

How the French say 70, 80 and 90, where et goes and when cent takes an s. Tables with audio, an “any number in words” converter and exercises to understand numbers by ear.

  • Any number in words
  • Audio
  • The 70–99 rules
  • 3 exercises
  • No sign-up
To the tablesPractice

Any number in words

Type a number in digits to see how it’s written and hear how it sounds. Up to 999,999,999.

Type a number and its spelling will appear here.

Numbers from 0 to 20

The basis of everything: up to 16 each number is its own word, then dix-sept, dix-huit, dix-neuf.

Speed

The tens

From 70 French counts in twenties: 70 = 60 + 10, 80 = 4 × 20, 90 = 4 × 20 + 10.

How numbers are built

The numbers people get wrong most often. Tap to listen.

Hundreds, thousands, millions

Cent, mille, million — and when they take an s.

Rules worth knowing

French numbers are logical — the logic is just a little unusual.

  • 21 = vingt et un

    In 21, 31, 41, 51, 61 and 71 the ten and the unit are joined by et: vingt et un, soixante et onze. Elsewhere it’s a hyphen: vingt-deux.

  • 70 = soixante-dix

    70–79 are “sixty + 10–19”: soixante-dix (70), soixante-douze (72), soixante-dix-sept (77).

  • 80 = quatre-vingts

    80 is “four twenties”. Only a round 80 has the s: quatre-vingts, but quatre-vingt-un (81) — no et, no s.

  • 90 = quatre-vingt-dix

    90–99 are “four twenties + 10–19”: quatre-vingt-dix (90), quatre-vingt-onze (91), quatre-vingt-dix-neuf (99).

  • 200 = deux cents

    Cent takes an s when there are several hundreds and nothing follows: deux cents, but deux cent un and deux cent mille.

  • 2000 = deux mille

    Mille never changes: deux mille, dix mille. Million is a noun: un million, deux millions.

  • 70 = septante

    In Belgium and Switzerland people say septante (70) and nonante (90), and in Switzerland also huitante (80). In France it’s soixante-dix and quatre-vingt-dix.

Practice: test yourself

10 numbers per round. Start with 0–20, then move to bigger ones — numbers are hardest to catch by ear.

Choose an exercise

How to understand numbers by ear

  • Learn 0–20 and the tens by heart — everything else is built from them.
  • Practise 70–99 separately: when you hear soixante, wait for the end — it could be 60 or 79.
  • Read phone numbers aloud: the French say them in pairs — 06 12 45 78 90.
  • A few rounds of “Hear the number” every day: we recognise numbers more slowly by ear than by eye.

FAQ

Didn’t find your answer? Send us a request — we’ll tell you everything.

Why is 80 quatre-vingts in French?

It’s a remnant of an old counting system in twenties: quatre-vingts is literally “four twenties”. Likewise 90 is quatre-vingt-dix, “four twenties and ten”.

Is 21 written with hyphens in French?

Vingt et un is three separate words, no hyphens. Since the 1990 spelling reform all compound numbers may be hyphenated (vingt-et-un, deux-cents); both are correct, and this page uses the traditional spelling.

When do cent and vingt take an s?

When there are several of them and nothing follows: deux cents, quatre-vingts. If another number follows, no s: deux cent trois, quatre-vingt-un. No s before mille either: deux cent mille.

How do the French say phone numbers?

In pairs of digits: 06 12 45 78 90 — zéro six, douze, quarante-cinq, soixante-dix-huit, quatre-vingt-dix. That’s why you need to recognise numbers up to 99 quickly by ear.

What’s next

Next step

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