Counting from 0 to 100 in French
Numbers are one of the first vocabulary topics that beginning French speakers learn... and one of the vocabulary issues that make the distinction between beginner and intermediate speakers clear. Many students still struggle to put numbers together after mastering many other vocabulary topics. Maybe it's just too much to do math in a different language! Study hard now so that you can learn the numbers early!
From 0 to 16, there is no pattern - you just have to memorize. You also have to memorize the "tens" numbers. Luckily, from 17 to 69, there is a pattern: take the "tens", add a dash (-), add the "ones.". There is a dash between each number from 17 to 99.
Exception:
The numbers 21, 31, 41, 51, 61, 71 have the link-word "et" instead of a dash.
From 70 to 79, the pattern changes: take the sixth ten, add a dash (-), add the first ten (10-19).
To make the eighth ten, take "quatre", add a dash, add "vingt", add a dash, then add the ones from 1.
To make the ninth ten, take "quatre", add a dash, add "vingt", add a dash, then add the first ten (10-19).
Notice:
This three "strange" patterns are used in France and Quebec. In Belgium (and countries colonized by Belgium) and Switzerland they are still using an old pattern, except for 80 that is also used in Suisse romande (French region of the Switzerland):
70 septante
80 huitante/octante
90 nonante
Note:
These numbers are called the cardinal numbers, to distinguish them from ordinal numbers. (e.g.,"first," premier, "ninth," neuvième)
| 0 zéro | 10 dix | 20 vingt | 30 trente | 40 quarante |
| 1 un | 11 onze | 21 vingt et un | 31 trente et un | 50 cinquante |
| 2 deux | 12 douze | 22 vingt-deux | 32 trente-deux | 60 soixante |
| 3 trois | 13 treize | 23 vingt-trois | 33 trente-trois | 70 soixante-dix |
| 4 quatre | 14 quatorze | 24 vingt-quatre | ... | 80 quatre-vingt |
| 5 cinq | 15 quinze | 25 vingt-cinq | ... | 90 quatre-vingt-dix |
| 6 six | 16 seize | 26 vingt-six | ... | 100 cent |
| 7 sept | 17 dix-sept | 27 vingt-sept | ||
| 8 huit | 18 dix-huit | 28 vingt-huit | ||
| 9 neuf | 19 dix-neuf | 29 vingt-neuf |
From 0 to 16, there is no pattern - you just have to memorize. You also have to memorize the "tens" numbers. Luckily, from 17 to 69, there is a pattern: take the "tens", add a dash (-), add the "ones.". There is a dash between each number from 17 to 99.
Exception:
The numbers 21, 31, 41, 51, 61, 71 have the link-word "et" instead of a dash.
From 70 to 79, the pattern changes: take the sixth ten, add a dash (-), add the first ten (10-19).
To make the eighth ten, take "quatre", add a dash, add "vingt", add a dash, then add the ones from 1.
To make the ninth ten, take "quatre", add a dash, add "vingt", add a dash, then add the first ten (10-19).
Notice:
This three "strange" patterns are used in France and Quebec. In Belgium (and countries colonized by Belgium) and Switzerland they are still using an old pattern, except for 80 that is also used in Suisse romande (French region of the Switzerland):
70 septante
80 huitante/octante
90 nonante
Note:
These numbers are called the cardinal numbers, to distinguish them from ordinal numbers. (e.g.,"first," premier, "ninth," neuvième)
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