French numbers 70–99: patterns, spelling and examples
Build the number from smaller parts, then check its written form.
70 builds on 60. 80 and 90 build on twenties. Use the pattern to understand the written number, then practise recognising it.
How are 70, 80 and 90 formed?
In the forms commonly taught for France, 70 and 90 are built from numbers you already know. Seventy uses sixty plus ten; ninety uses eighty plus ten. Eighty itself is four twenties.
Separate the arithmetic pattern from the spelling. First understand which smaller numbers make the total. Then notice how the written form joins them.
Keep the base. Add the remainder. For 75, think 60 + 15; for 95, think 80 + 15.
How do the parts fit together?
For 76, start with 60 and add 16: soixante-seize. For 86, start with 80 and add 6: quatre-vingt-six. The similar-looking words belong to different bases.
The optional explorer lets you compare the written form with its parts. The complete reference remains in the next section.
These are the forms commonly taught for France. The full lookup below remains available while you explore.
The numbers from 70 to 99
Use this list when you need an exact written form. Read neighbouring numbers together to see what stays the same. Regional alternatives are discussed below.
70–79
80–89
90–99
When do et and the final s appear?
Two details deserve separate attention: the et in 71 and the s on 80. A regular-looking pattern can still contain a spelling exception.
80 keeps the s; 81–99 drop it. Compare quatre-vingts with quatre-vingt-un.
soixante et onze
sixty and eleven
quatre-vingt-un
four twenties plus one
Spelling and regional forms
This reference uses traditional spelling. The 1990 spelling recommendations also allow soixante-et-onze. You will encounter septante for 70 and nonante for 90 in Belgium and Switzerland; usage for 80 varies within Switzerland. These forms are regional alternatives, not mistakes.
Original teaching examples. English explanations with French marked in its original language. Number reference: Lawless French.