Nonante
The Belgian and Swiss French word for 90
Updated June 2026
Quick answer
NONANTE =
90
IPA
/nɔnɑ̃t/
Nonante is the word for 90 across Belgium and all of French-speaking Switzerland. It replaces the standard French quatre-vingt-dix (“four-twenty-ten”). Full regional comparison · What is septante? · What is huitante?
What nonante means
Nonante is simply the number 90. Where France and Quebec say quatre-vingt-dix — literally “four-twenty-ten”, a leftover of the old base-20 (vigesimal) counting system — Belgium and French-speaking Switzerland use the regular decimal-style word nonante, built on the Latin root for nine. It follows the same pattern as soixante (60) and quarante (40), so it is far easier to learn and count with.
Nonante, like septante (70), is universal across both Belgium and the whole of Romandie, whereas huitante (80) is limited to three Swiss cantons. If you are learning French for Belgium or Switzerland, nonante is the form you will hear and use every day for 90.
How to pronounce nonante
Nonante is pronounced /nɔnɑ̃t/ — roughly “noh-NONT”. The opening “non” rhymes with the French word non; the “-ante” ending is the nasal vowel shared with soixante and quarante, and the final “e” is silent. Tap play to hear it:
Counting 90 to 99 with nonante
Note the “et” in nonante et un (91). Nonante restores the regular “et un” connector you also see in vingt et un (21) and trente et un (31). The France column shows why nonante is simpler: quatre-vingt-dix stacks a teen on top of four-twenties, so 97 becomes quatre-vingt-dix-sept (“four-twenty-ten-seven”).
| Number | Belgium / Switzerland | France / Quebec |
|---|---|---|
| 90 | nonante | quatre-vingt-dix |
| 91 | nonante et un | quatre-vingt-onze |
| 92 | nonante-deux | quatre-vingt-douze |
| 93 | nonante-trois | quatre-vingt-treize |
| 94 | nonante-quatre | quatre-vingt-quatorze |
| 95 | nonante-cinq | quatre-vingt-quinze |
| 96 | nonante-six | quatre-vingt-seize |
| 97 | nonante-sept | quatre-vingt-dix-sept |
| 98 | nonante-huit | quatre-vingt-dix-huit |
| 99 | nonante-neuf | quatre-vingt-dix-neuf |
Where nonante is used
Says nonante
All of Belgium (Wallonia, Brussels) and all of French-speaking Switzerland (Vaud, Valais, Fribourg, Geneva, Neuchâtel, Jura)
Says quatre-vingt-dix
France and Quebec (Canada)
Like septante (70), nonante is shared by everyone outside France and Quebec, including Geneva and Neuchâtel, which keep quatre-vingts for 80 but still say nonante for 90. See the Belgian French and Swiss French pages for the full picture, or the 90 to 100 and 70 to 99 references for every form in the range.
Frequently asked questions
What does nonante mean?
Nonante means 90. It is the word for the number 90 in Belgian French and in all of French-speaking Switzerland, used in everyday speech, schools, banks, and official documents. It replaces the standard French quatre-vingt-dix (literally "four-twenty-ten").
Who uses nonante?
Nonante is used across all of Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, and across the whole of French-speaking Switzerland (Romandie): Vaud, Valais, Fribourg, Geneva, Neuchâtel, and Jura. It is also heard in the Aosta Valley in Italy and in parts of French-speaking Africa. Like septante (70), and unlike huitante (80), nonante is universal wherever these regional forms are spoken.
How do you pronounce nonante?
Nonante is pronounced "noh-NONT" in English approximation, with IPA /nɔnɑ̃t/. The opening "non" rhymes with the French word non, and the "-ante" ending is the nasal vowel shared with soixante and quarante. The final "e" is silent.
Is nonante correct French?
Yes. Nonante is standard French in Belgium and Switzerland, taught in schools and used by broadcasters, banks, and official bodies. It is not slang or an error. If you are learning French for France or Quebec you will use quatre-vingt-dix, but nonante is fully correct, clearer, and easier to count with in its regions.
How do you count from 90 to 99 with nonante?
Nonante (90), nonante et un (91, with the "et" connector), then nonante-deux, nonante-trois, up to nonante-neuf (99). The France form is harder: quatre-vingt-dix (90), quatre-vingt-onze (91), quatre-vingt-douze (92), stacking a teen on top of four-twenties all the way to quatre-vingt-dix-neuf (99).
Why does France say quatre-vingt-dix instead of nonante?
France kept a base-20 (vigesimal) counting system inherited from the Celtic Gauls, so 90 is built as quatre-vingt-dix ("four-twenty-ten" = 4 x 20 + 10). Belgium and Switzerland did not adopt these forms during France's 19th-century language standardisation, keeping the simpler decimal-style nonante. Both are correct French; they are regional, not right-versus-wrong.
By Oliver Wakefield-Smith. Regional forms verified against the converter engine and Belgian/Swiss French usage references.