French numbers are mostly logical — until you hit 70. This list covers every number from 1 to 100, with the rules that explain the weirdness.
1–10
| French | English | Note |
|---|
| un | 1 | uhn |
| deux | 2 | duh |
| trois | 3 | twah |
| quatre | 4 | katr |
| cinq | 5 | sank |
| six | 6 | sees |
| sept | 7 | set |
| huit | 8 | weet |
| neuf | 9 | nuhf |
| dix | 10 | dees |
11–20
| French | English | Note |
|---|
| onze | 11 | |
| douze | 12 | |
| treize | 13 | |
| quatorze | 14 | |
| quinze | 15 | |
| seize | 16 | |
| dix-sept | 17 | literally ten-seven |
| dix-huit | 18 | |
| dix-neuf | 19 | |
| vingt | 20 | |
21–69
The pattern is regular: tens + et un for X1, tens + hyphen + digit for X2-X9.
| French | English |
|---|
| vingt et un | 21 |
| vingt-deux | 22 |
| trente | 30 |
| trente et un | 31 |
| quarante | 40 |
| cinquante | 50 |
| soixante | 60 |
| soixante-neuf | 69 |
70, 80, 90 — the weird ones
France stops having dedicated words for 70, 80, and 90. Belgium and Switzerland do use septante, huitante/octante, and nonante — but France insists on these compound forms.
| French | English | Note |
|---|
| soixante-dix | 70 | literally 60+10 |
| soixante et onze | 71 | 60+11 |
| soixante-douze | 72 | 60+12 |
| soixante-dix-neuf | 79 | 60+19 |
| quatre-vingts | 80 | literally 4×20. Note the s on vingts. |
| quatre-vingt-un | 81 | No 'et', and no s on vingt when followed by another number |
| quatre-vingt-dix | 90 | 4×20+10 |
| quatre-vingt-dix-neuf | 99 | 4×20+19 |
| cent | 100 | |
Tips to memorize this list faster
- Master 1–20 first. They're the foundation for everything above 20.
- Practice the 70s, 80s, and 90s out loud — knowing them on paper isn't enough.
- Use numbers in real life: tell time in French, read prices aloud, count steps.