---
title: "French numbers from 1 to 1,000,000 (and why 80 is \"4 × 20\")"
description: "Learn French numbers from 1 to a million: 70 to 99, the rules for hyphens, vingt and cent, Belgian and Swiss forms, and tips to avoid mistakes."
url: "https://laclassefrancaise.es/en/blog/french-numbers"
lang: "en"
author: "Thierry Gustin"
published: "2026-10-30"
updated: "2026-11-07"
---

# French numbers from 1 to 1,000,000 (and why 80 is "4 × 20")

> **Key takeaways** — French numbers are straightforward up to 69. From there, France counts in twenties: 70 is soixante-dix (60 + 10), 80 is quatre-vingts (4 × 20) and 90 is quatre-vingt-dix (4 × 20 + 10). In Belgium and Switzerland people say septante and nonante, and in some Swiss cantons, huitante. Vingt and cent take an s in the plural only when no other number follows them.

**French numbers** have a reputation for being complicated because of a historical quirk: from 70 upwards, the French of France counts in twenties. *Quatre-vingts* (80) literally means "four twenties", a little like the old English "fourscore". Once you understand the logic, it's easy.

## From 0 to 20

**French numbers from 0 to 20**

| Number | French | Number | French |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 0 | zéro | 11 | onze |
| 1 | un / une | 12 | douze |
| 2 | deux | 13 | treize |
| 3 | trois | 14 | quatorze |
| 4 | quatre | 15 | quinze |
| 5 | cinq | 16 | seize |
| 6 | six | 17 | dix-sept |
| 7 | sept | 18 | dix-huit |
| 8 | huit | 19 | dix-neuf |
| 9 | neuf | 20 | vingt |
| 10 | dix |  |  |

From 17 to 19, you combine *dix* and the unit: *dix-sept* (10 + 7).

## From 21 to 69

The tens are *vingt* (20), *trente* (30), *quarante* (40), *cinquante* (50) and *soixante* (60). To form the numbers in between, you add the unit with a hyphen: *vingt-deux, trente-cinq, quarante-huit*.

Exception: **1** is joined with **et** (and): *vingt et un, trente et un, quarante et un, cinquante et un, soixante et un* (no hyphens).

## From 70 to 99: the tricky part

**French numbers from 70 to 99 (France)**

| Number | French | Calculation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 70 | soixante-dix | 60 + 10 |
| 71 | soixante et onze | 60 + 11 |
| 75 | soixante-quinze | 60 + 15 |
| 80 | quatre-vingts | 4 × 20 |
| 81 | quatre-vingt-un | 4 × 20 + 1 |
| 90 | quatre-vingt-dix | 4 × 20 + 10 |
| 91 | quatre-vingt-onze | 4 × 20 + 11 |
| 99 | quatre-vingt-dix-neuf | 4 × 20 + 19 |

Notice two details: *soixante **et** onze* (71) takes *et*, but *quatre-vingt-un* (81) does not. And *quatre-vingts* (80) takes an **s**, but loses it as soon as another number follows: *quatre-vingt-trois*.

## How do they say them in Belgium and Switzerland?

Belgium and Switzerland use more logical forms: **septante** (70) and **nonante** (90). In some Swiss cantons, such as Vaud, Valais or Fribourg, people also say **huitante** (80). So 97 is *nonante-sept* in Brussels or Geneva, and *quatre-vingt-dix-sept* in Paris. Everyone in France understands these forms, but nobody uses them.

## From 100 to 1,000,000

- **100**: *cent*. **200**: *deux cents* (with an *s*), but **250**: *deux cent cinquante* (no *s*, because another number follows).
- **1,000**: *mille* (invariable: *deux mille*, never ✗ *deux milles*).
- **1,000,000**: *un million*; **2,000,000**: *deux millions* (*million* does change, because it is a noun). *Un million **de** personnes*.

Examples: *1 492 = mille quatre cent quatre-vingt-douze*. *2026 = deux mille vingt-six*. Note that French separates thousands with a space and uses a comma for decimals, the opposite of English: 19,90 € means €19.90.

> **Hyphens or not?** — Since the 1990 spelling reform, hyphens are accepted between all the parts of a number: *deux-cent-cinquante*, *vingt-et-un*. Both spellings are correct.

## Numbers in everyday life

- **Telling the time**: *il est quinze heures trente* (3:30 pm). Official French uses the 24-hour clock.
- **Prices**: *dix-neuf euros quatre-vingt-dix* (€19.90).
- **Phone numbers** are read in pairs: *06 12 34 56 78* → *zéro six, douze, trente-quatre, cinquante-six, soixante-dix-huit*.
- **Dates**: *le premier mai* (1 May, an ordinal), but *le deux mai, le trois mai* (cardinal numbers, where English says "the second", "the third").

Numbers come up in every listening test of the DELF A1 and A2: prices, timetables, dates and phone numbers. I explain this in my guide to the [DELF A1 and A2](https://laclassefrancaise.es/en/blog/delf-a1-a2-exams).

## How can you practise numbers?

1. **Read numbers aloud** whenever you see prices or number plates.
2. **Listen to traffic or weather reports** on French radio ([France Inter](https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter), for example): they are full of figures.
3. **Practise the twenties** by counting from 60 to 99 until it comes out without thinking.

## Frequently asked questions

### Why is 80 "quatre-vingts"?

It is a legacy of the old system of counting in twenties (vigesimal), which French kept for some numbers. It literally means "four times twenty".

### How do you say 70 in French?

*Soixante-dix* in France (60 + 10) and *septante* in Belgium and Switzerland.

### Does "vingt" take an s?

Only in *quatre-vingts* when no other number follows. *Quatre-vingt-cinq* has no *s*.

### Is it "mille" or "milles"?

Always *mille*: it is invariable. *Trois mille euros.*

— Thierry Gustin, Profesor nativo de francés · November 7, 2026