Counting in French: Master Numbers 1 to 100 (with Pronunciation)
Counting from 1 to 100 in French
Learning to count is one of the most essential steps in mastering French. While the numbers start off quite standard, you will soon discover that the French have a very unique (and mathematical!) way of counting once you reach the 70s. Here is your complete guide to mastering French numbers.
1 to 20: The Foundation
These numbers are the building blocks. You simply have to memorize them, along with their pronunciations.
- 1 to 5: un (uh), deux (duh), trois (trwah), quatre (katr), cinq (sank)
- 6 to 10: six (sees), sept (set), huit (weet), neuf (nuhf), dix (dees)
- 11 to 15: onze (onz), douze (dooz), treize (trez), quatorze (katorz), quinze (kanz)
- 16 to 20: seize (sez), dix-sept (dee-set), dix-huit (dee-zweet), dix-neuf (dee-znuhf), vingt (van)
21 to 69: The Standard Pattern
Once you know your tens (30: trente, 40: quarante, 50: cinquante, 60: soixante), forming numbers is straightforward. Just remember two rules:
- For numbers ending in 1: Use the word et (and). Example: 21 is vingt et un, 31 is trente et un.
- For all other numbers: Use a hyphen. Example: 22 is vingt-deux, 45 is quarante-cinq, 68 is soixante-huit.
70 to 99: Time for French Math!
This is where it gets interesting! France doesn't have single words for 70, 80, or 90. Instead, you have to do a little math:
- The 70s (60 + 10): 70 is soixante-dix (sixty-ten). 71 is soixante et onze (sixty and eleven). 75 is soixante-quinze (sixty-fifteen).
- The 80s (4 x 20): 80 is quatre-vingts (four-twenties). 82 is quatre-vingt-deux (four-twenties-two).
- The 90s (4 x 20 + 10): 90 is quatre-vingt-dix (four-twenties-ten). 95 is quatre-vingt-quinze (four-twenties-fifteen).
Reaching 100
You made it! 100 is simply cent (pronounced "sahn
Want to build exam-ready vocabulary around this topic? Check out our TCF vocabulary lists.