80 to 90 in French

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 June 2026

Quick answer

80 IN FRENCH =

quatre-vingts

IPA

/katʁ.vɛ̃/

In France and Quebec, 80 is quatre-vingts — literally “four-twenties” (4 × 20), a leftover of the old base-20 count. The s stays only when 80 ends the number; it drops the moment a unit follows: 82 is quatre-vingt-deux, 84 is quatre-vingt-quatre, 85 is quatre-vingt-cinq, 86 is quatre-vingt-six, 87 is quatre-vingt-sept, 88 is quatre-vingt-huit, 89 is quatre-vingt-neuf, then quatre-vingt-dix at 90. No et connector: it is quatre-vingt-un, not quatre-vingt-et-un. Switzerland instead says huitante.

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.

Adjacent deciles

Frequently asked

How do you say 80 in French?

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 Académie française 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 Académie française, 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: Académie française (questions de langue, nombres), Larousse, Le Robert, CNRTL.