French Numbers: How To Count From 1-100 And Beyond (2023)

The French numbers 1-100 are much more complex than un, deux trois (one, two, three). While counting from 1-20 is very straight forward, the numbers 60-100 become much more complicated. Apply our useful tips and learn how to count to from one hundred and beyond.

Numbers in French 1-100

French numbers 1-20

To memorize 1-10, try counting in either even or odd numbers separately. Another effective tactic is to try counting backwards from ten to zero.

French numbers 1-10

• 0 – Zéro
• 1 – Un
• 2 – Deux
• 3 – Trois
• 4 – Quatre
• 5 – Cinq
• 6 – Six
• 7 – Sept
• 8 – Huit
• 9 – Neuf
• 10 – Dix

Tips for learning to count from 11-20

Many students get confused on the numbers quinze (fifteen) seize (sixteen). A fun mnemonic device when students of FrenchLearner use is: You Can Say ‘Quinze Seize’.

In addition many of the numbers above 10 end in the -z sound, such as onze (eleven), douze (twelve) and treize (thirteen).

You can remember that these are the “teenz”. This will help you to distinguish these numbers from the higher numbers which we’ll observe below.

• 11 – onze
• 12 – douze
• 13 – treize
• 14 – quatorze
• 15 – quinze
• 16 – seize
• 17 – dix-sept
• 18 – dix-huit
• 19 – dix-neuf

French 1-20 song

Practice the French numbers 1-20 with this fun song by Alain Le Lait:

French numbers 20-59

The numbers 20-59 are not very complicated. To say twenty, say vingt (pronounced vɛ̃), the same pronunciation as the word for wine, le vin!).

To say twenty-one, add “et un” or and one. Then, for 22-29 simply add un, deux, trois, etc. This pattern works for the numbers all the up through 59.

Many students experience difficulties distinguishing the teens from these higher numbers. A mnemonic device to remember these higher numbers is to say, “I have a lot of aunts”.

This is because the word aunt (New England or UK pronunciation) rhymes with these numbers, trente, quarante and cinquante.

Numbers 20-29

• 20 – Vingt
• 21 – Vingt et un
• 22 – Vingt-deux
• 23 – Vingt-trois
• 24 – Vingt-quatre
• 25 – Vingt-cinq
• 26 – Vingt-six
• 27 – Vingt-sept
• 28 – Vingt-huit
• 29 – Vingt-neuf

Numbers 30-39

• 30 – Trente
• 31 – Trente et un
• 32 – Trente-deux
• 33 – Trente-trois
• 34 – Trente-quatre
• 35 – Trente-cinq
• 36 – Trente-six
• 37 – Trente-sept
• 38 – Trente-huit
• 39 – Trente-neuf

Numbers 40-49

• 40 – Quarante
• 41 – Quarante et un
• 42 – Quarante-deux
• 43 – Quarante-trois
• 44 – Quarante-quatre
• 45 – Quarante-cinq
• 46 – Quarante-six
• 47 – Quarante-sept
• 48 – Quarante-huit
• 49 – Quarante-neuf

Numbers 50-59

• 50 – Cinquante
• 51 – Cinqante et un
• 52 – Cinquante-deux
• 53 – Cinquante-trois
• 54 – Cinquante-quatre
• 55 – Cinquante-cinq
• 56 – Cinquante-six
• 57 – Cinquante-sept
• 58 – Cinquante-huit
• 59 – Cinquante-neuf

French numbers 60-79

The numbers 60-70 are often a big challenge for beginner students.

To count from 60-69, simply say soixante then follow the same pattern the numbers in the previous section covering 20-69. When you come to seventy, you must say soixante-dix, which translates to ‘sixty ten’.

Numbers 60-69

• 60 – Soixante
• 61 – Soixante et un
• 62 – Soixante-deux
• 63 – Soixante-trois
• 64 – Soixante-quatre
• 65 – Soixante-cinq
• 66 – Soixante-six
• 67 – Soixante-sept
• 68 – Soixante-huit
• 69 – Soixante-neuf

Then, for 71-79, you must add soixante (sixty) to the corresponding teen (11-19) number. Hence, seventy-one is soixante-et-onze (sixty and eleven). Seventy-two is soixante-douze (sixty twelve).

One useful tip to say the numbers 60-79 easier is to first get the word ‘soixante’ out without considering the entire number.

If the number is 60-69 that’s easy: Just add un, deux, trois, etc. One you’ve said ‘soixante’ you can then worry about adding the corresponding teen if you’ve in 70-79 territory.

Numbers 70-79

• 70 – Soixante-dix
• 71 – Soixante et onze
• 72 – Soixante douze
• 73 – Soixante treize
• 74 – Soixante-quatorze
• 75 – Soixante-quinze
• 76 – Soixante-seize
• 77 – Soixante-dix-sept
• 78 – Soixante-dix-huit
• 79 – Soixante-dix-neuf

French numbers 80-99

The French numbers 80-99 become much more complicated. This is because to say eighty, you must say ‘quatre-vingts’, which means ‘four twenties’.

For the number eighty-one, the ‘et’ disappears. Hence, 81 is quatre-vingt-un, which literally means ‘four twenty one’. For 82-89, say ‘quatre-vingt’ (4 x 20), then add un, deux, trois, etc. through neuf. Eight-five, fo example is ‘quatre-vingt-cinq’ (4 x 20 + 5).

Numbers 80-89

• 80 – Quatre-vingts
• 81 – Quatre-vingt-un
• 82 – Quatre-vingt-deux
• 83 – Quatre-vingt trois
• 84 – Quatre-vingt-quatre
• 85 – Quatre-vingt-cinq
• 86 – Quatre-vingt-six
• 87 – Quatre-vingt-sept
• 88 – Quatre-vingt-huit
• 89 – Quatre-vingt-neuf

To say ninety, say ‘quatre-vingt-dix’, which equates to ‘four twenty ten’. Then, for 91-99, add the corresponding teen number. For example ninety-five is ‘quatre-vingt-quinze’ (4 x 20 + 15).

The same tip for the previous section on 60-79 applies for 80-99. For any of these numbers 80-99 first get out the word ‘quatre-vingt’. Then, worry about what you have to add.

If you are in 80-89 territory simply add un, deux, trois, etc. Then if you are 90 or higher you must add the corresponding teen number.

Numbers 90-99

• 90 – Quatre-vingt-dix
• 91 – Quatre-vingt-onze
• 92 – Quatre-vingt-douze
• 93 – Quatre-vingt-treize
• 94 – Quatre-vingt-quatorze
• 95 – Quatre-vingt-quinze
• 96 – Quatre-vingt-seize
• 97 – Quatre-vingt-dix-sept
• 98 – Quatre-vingt-dix-huit
• 99 – Quatre-vingt-dix-neuf

Counting in Switzerland and Belgium: Septante and Nonante

The counting system for 60-99 is much less complicated in Switzerland and Belgium.

This is because these two countries have specific words for seventy, eighty and ninety: septante (70) and huitante (80) and nonante (90).

Hence, in these countries 75, 85 and 95 would be septant-cinq, huitante-cinq and nonante-cinq.

This makes the French numbers 1-100 in these countries much easier!

This counting system eliminates the need to calculate math and cuts down significantly on the number of words required to express the corresponding numbers.

Big numbers 100 and beyond

To say both one hundred and one thousand, say ‘cent’ and ‘mille’, respectively. Do not add the word ‘un’ to either of these numbers.

Hence, ‘one hundred one’ and ‘one thousand one’ are ‘cent un’ and ‘mille un’, respectively. For larger hundreds, add an -s: two-hundred is ‘deux cents’.

For larger thousands, never an an -s to mille. Hence, two thousand is ‘deux mille’. One million is ‘un million’ and one billion is ‘un milliard’. Add an -s to both of these to make higher numbers. Hence, two million is ‘deux millions’.

This page provides a table for practicing big numbers with MP3 audio.

• 100 cent
• 101 cent un
• 150 cent cinquante
• 524 cinq cents vingt-quatre
• 1,000 mille
• 1,001 mille un
• 1,250 mille deux cents vingt-cinq
• 10,000 dix mille
• 1,000,000 un million
• 1,000,000 un milliard (billion)

Here’s how to say a few years in French:

• 1975: mille neuf cent soixante-quinze (you can also day dix-neuf cent)
• 2007: deux mille sept

(Video) French Numbers Song 1-100 | Nombres en Français Chanson: Compter jusqu'à 100

More uses and resources for French numbers

French decimals and percentages

In France, the decimal points are written with commas. The word for comma is ‘une virgule’. Hence the decimil 1.5 is written 1,5 and read as ‘un vigrule cinq’.

The word percent is written in two words in French: pour cent. Hence 50% would be ‘cinquante pour cent’.

French ordinal numbers

Ordinal numbers are counting numbers: first second, third, etc. To form an ordinal number in French, simply add -ième to the number.

Hence, second and third are ‘deuxième’ and troisième. The only big exception to this guideline ‘premier’ and ‘primière for first. Our ordinal number page has a complete table with example sentences.

French fractions

To form a fraction, simply put a cardinal number (un, deux, trois, etc.) over an ordinal number. Hence, the fraction 1/5 would be ‘un cinquième’.

All fractions are masculine. Our fractions page offers a complete table with example sentences.

Math in French

Learning the French numbers is essential for talking about math. The word for plus in French is ‘plus’ (say the -s).

The words for minus, multiplied by and divided by are: moins, multiplié par and divisé par, respectively.

Our math page offers a complete table covering examples of simple math problems using French numbers.

Download PDF of this lesson

Become an expert in French numbers!
Gaining mastery in French numbers can be a big challenge. We suggest taking a look at Frenchtoday.com’s audio course, “Mastering French Numbers“. With Camille’s drills you’ll be able to rattle off even the trickiest of numbers in no time!

Another must-have resource is the book, Practice Makes Perfect , Complete French All-in-One, which has a great chapter covering numbers with useful exercises.

Related lessons

• French Numbers Song
• approximate numbers
• How to tell time
• French for beginners – How to get started
• How to say hello in French

More Online Resources:

• French Numbers Exercise – FrancaisFacile
• French Numbers Quiz – French-Games
• FrenchPod101 – Numbers