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Learn how to count from 20 to 99 in French by mastering the rules of tens and units formation. Understand important exceptions for numbers like 71, 80, and 91, and discover how to use "et" correctly when saying numbers ending with one.
  1. From 21 to 69, the units are added to the tens with a "-". For numbers ending with 1, "et" is used without a hyphen. Examples: "21": "vingt et un"; "32": "trente-deux".
  2. 71, 81 and 91 follow special rules: 71: "soixante et onze"; 81: "quatre-vingt-un"; 91: "quatre-vingt-onze".
Nombre (Number)Exemple (Example)
20 : (20 : Twenty)Vingt25 : (25 : Twenty-five)Vingt-cinq
30 : (30 : Thirty)Trente34 : (Thirty-four)Trente-quatre
40 : (40 : Forty)Quarante46 : (Forty-six)Quarante-six
50 : (50 : Fifty)Cinquante53 : (Fifty-three)Cinquante-trois
60 : (60 : Sixty)Soixante  ( )61 : (61 : Sixty-one)Soixante-et-un
70 : (70 : Seventy)Soixante-dix73 : (Seventy-three)Soixante-treize (Seventy-three)
80 : (80 : Eighty)Quatre-vingts87 : (Eighty-seven)Quatre-vingt-sept
90 : (Ninety : Quatre-vingt-dix)Quatre-vingt-dix99 : (Ninety-nine : Ninety-nine)Quatre-vingt-dix-neuf

Exceptions!

  1. The number 80 quatre-vingts only takes a final "s" when it is not followed by another digit. Examples: "80": quatre-vingts; "81": quatre-vingt-un.

Exercise 1: Les nombres de 20 à 99

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

quatre-vingt-seize, soixante-quinze, trente-neuf, soixante-cinq, quarante-et-un, vingt-sept, cinquante-cinq, quatre-vingt-onze

1. 96:
: ...
(Ninety-six)
2. 41:
: ...
(Forty-one)
3. 27:
: ...
(Twenty-seven)
4. 91:
: ...
(Ninety-one)
5. 65:
: ...
(Sixty-five)
6. 75:
: ...
(Seventy-five)
7. 55:
: ...
(Fifty-five)
8. 39:
: ...
(Thirty-nine)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Je compte jusqu'à _______ sans problème.

(I can count to _______ without any problem.)

2. Tu comprends comment former les nombres de vingt à _______ ?

(Do you understand how to form numbers from twenty to _______?)

3. Nous comptons jusqu'à _______ en français.

(We count up to _______ in French.)

4. Il comprend que pour vingt-et-un on ajoute « _______ » sans trait d’union.

(He understands that for twenty-one you add "_______" without a hyphen.)

5. Vous comptez correctement de trente-neuf à _______.

(You count correctly from thirty-nine to _______.)

6. J’apprends à compter de quatre-vingts à _______ aujourd’hui.

(I am learning to count from eighty to _______ today.)

Numbers from 20 to 99 in French

This lesson focuses on counting in French from twenty to ninety-nine, explaining the rules for forming numbers in this range. You will learn the names of the tens and how units are combined with them to form complete numbers. For example, 20 is "vingt", 30 is "trente", and 40 is "quarante".

Combining Tens and Units

From 21 to 69, units are added to the tens using a hyphen, except when the unit is 1. In that case, the conjunction "et" (meaning "and") is inserted without a hyphen. For instance, 21 is "vingt et un", but 32 is "trente-deux".

Special Cases: 70, 80, and 90

Numbers above 69 have unique patterns. Seventy (70) is "soixante-dix" (sixty-ten). For example, 73 is "soixante-treize" (sixty-thirteen). Eighty (80) is "quatre-vingts" (four twenties), and ninety (90) is "quatre-vingt-dix" (four twenty ten). Notably, 71 is "soixante et onze" (sixty and eleven), 81 is "quatre-vingt-un", and 91 is "quatre-vingt-onze".

Important Grammar Notes

  • The word "quatre-vingts" (80) takes a final "s" only when not followed by another number. For example, 80 is "quatre-vingts", but 81 is "quatre-vingt-un" without the "s".
  • The hyphenation and use of "et" are essential to form proper French numbers and can differ from English conventions.

Comparison to English

Unlike English, which uses separate words to build numbers simply (e.g., twenty-one), French numbers between 70 and 99 often involve arithmetic-like expressions (e.g., 80 is literally "four twenties"). The use of "et" between tens and one is also unique to French and does not exist in English. For instance, "vingt et un" corresponds to "twenty-one" but includes this conjunction "et" which means "and".

Useful Phrases

  • 21: vingt et un (twenty and one)
  • 34: trente-quatre (thirty-four)
  • 71: soixante et onze (sixty and eleven)
  • 87: quatre-vingt-sept (four twenty seven)
  • 99: quatre-vingt-dix-neuf (four twenty nineteen)

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This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

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Alessia Calcagni

Languages for communication in international enterprises and organizations

Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 29/05/2025 16:04