The decile that breaks two patterns at once: the s on quatre-vingts disappears the moment a unit follows, and the et connector vanishes (quatre-vingt-un, not quatre-vingt-et-un).
Updated May 2026
N
French
Audio
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
90
quatre-vingt-dix
The plural-s rule in one line
Quatre-vingts has s only when it is the last word of the number. Quatre-vingt-un, quatre-vingt-deux ... quatre-vingt-neuf, quatre-vingt-dix all lose the s. Even quatre-vingt mille (80000) loses it.
Quatre-vingts. Literally four-twenties (4 x 20 = 80). The s appears only when 80 ends the number with no further units. Belgium says quatre-vingts too. Switzerland (Vaud, Valais, Fribourg) uses huitante.
Why is there an s on quatre-vingts but not on quatre-vingt-un?
The plural s on vingt only survives when the number ends with quatre-vingts. As soon as a unit follows (quatre-vingt-un, quatre-vingt-deux ... quatre-vingt-neuf, quatre-vingt-dix) the s drops. The Academie francaise codified this rule in 1835 and has never changed it.
Why is there no et in quatre-vingt-un?
The et connector is reserved for the regular tens (vingt et un, trente et un ... soixante et un, soixante et onze). The vigesimal forms 80 and 90 do not take it. Quatre-vingt-un, not quatre-vingt-et-un. Larousse, the Academie francaise, and Le Robert all confirm this.
How do you say 89 in French?
Quatre-vingt-neuf. Four twenties plus nine = 89. Before ans or heures the neuf shifts to neuv: quatre-vingt-neuf ans = /katʁ.vɛ̃.noev‿ɑ̃/.
Sources: Academie francaise (questions de langue, nombres), Larousse, Le Robert, CNRTL.