French Numbers in Belgium, Switzerland, and Canada
Septante, Huitante, Nonante
Updated 17 April 2026
France uses soixante-dix (sixty-ten) for 70, quatre-vingts (four-twenties) for 80, and quatre-vingt-dix (four-twenties-ten) for 90. These are the forms taught in most French textbooks and used in France and Quebec. However, Belgium and most of Switzerland use fundamentally different and more logical words: septante (70), huitante or quatre-vingts (80), nonante (90).
This is not a regional accent or a slight pronunciation difference. These are entirely different words for the same numbers. If you are learning French to live in Belgium or Switzerland, you should learn the regional forms. If you are learning for France or Quebec, you still need to know the regional forms to understand news, films, and speakers from those countries.
Overview by Country
FR France and Quebec
70: soixante-dix (60+10)
80: quatre-vingts (4x20)
90: quatre-vingt-dix (4x20+10)
Vigesimal system. Used by roughly 70% of French speakers worldwide.
BE Belgium
70: septante
80: quatre-vingts (same as France)
90: nonante
Belgium uses septante and nonante but keeps France's quatre-vingts for 80.
CH Switzerland (most cantons)
70: septante
80: huitante (Vaud, Valais, Fribourg)
90: nonante
Some cantons (Geneva, Neuchatel) use quatre-vingts for 80. Huitante is the most distinctly Swiss form.
Side-by-Side Comparison: 70-99
| # | France | Belgium | Switzerland | Audio (FR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | soixante-dix | septante | septante | |
| 71 | soixante-et-onze | septante et un | septante et un | |
| 72 | soixante-douze | septante-deux | septante-deux | |
| 75 | soixante-quinze | septante-cinq | septante-cinq | |
| 79 | soixante-dix-neuf | septante-neuf | septante-neuf | |
| 80 | quatre-vingts | quatre-vingts | huitante | |
| 81 | quatre-vingt-un | quatre-vingt-un | huitante et un | |
| 85 | quatre-vingt-cinq | quatre-vingt-cinq | huitante-cinq | |
| 89 | quatre-vingt-neuf | quatre-vingt-neuf | huitante-neuf | |
| 90 | quatre-vingt-dix | nonante | nonante | |
| 91 | quatre-vingt-onze | nonante et un | nonante et un | |
| 97 | quatre-vingt-dix-sept | nonante-sept | nonante-sept | |
| 99 | quatre-vingt-dix-neuf | nonante-neuf | nonante-neuf |
Why Did Belgium and Switzerland Keep Septante and Nonante?
The short answer is political: they were independent nations when France was standardising its language in the 19th century. The Académie française, founded in 1635 to regulate French, pushed the vigesimal forms that had appeared in medieval French literature and administrative documents. France adopted these as the official standard.
Belgium (independent since 1830) and Switzerland (confederate since medieval times) had no reason to defer to the Académie française. Their populations were already using septante, octante, and nonante (or variants of them) in everyday speech, and they continued to do so. The Belgian and Swiss governments did not mandate a change, so the simpler forms persisted.
The irony is that Belgium and Switzerland may have the historically older forms. Some linguists argue that septante, octante, and nonante are the more natural Latin descendants (from septuaginta, octoginta, nonaginta), while France's vigesimal forms are actually the anomaly - preserved Celtic influence that France chose to embrace rather than eliminate.
Which Form Should You Learn?
Going to France or Quebec
Learn France forms (soixante-dix, quatre-vingts, quatre-vingt-dix). These are expected and anything else will sound foreign.
Living or working in Belgium
Learn septante, quatre-vingts, nonante. Belgium uses France's form for 80 but its own for 70 and 90.
Living or working in Switzerland
Learn septante, huitante, nonante - especially if you are in Vaud, Valais, or Fribourg. Geneva tends toward France forms.
Learning French generally (no specific destination)
Learn France forms first as they are what most textbooks and courses teach. Then learn regional forms as a second layer. Both will be needed at some point.
Watching French-language media
French media uses France forms. Belgian and Swiss media use regional forms. You will hear both.
Try the Regional Converter
Toggle between France, Belgium, and Switzerland to see how the same number is said differently. Try 70, 80, 90, and 97.
FAQ
Do Belgians say soixante-dix for 70?
No. Belgian French uses septante for 70, quatre-vingts for 80 (same as France), and nonante for 90. A Belgian will understand soixante-dix, but they would not say it themselves.
What is huitante and who uses it?
Huitante is the word for 80 used in the Swiss cantons of Vaud, Valais, and Fribourg. Other Swiss cantons (Geneva, Neuchâtel, Jura) tend to use quatre-vingts like France. Octante is an older historical variant of huitante that is rarely used today.
Is septante used in Quebec?
No. Quebec French follows France forms: soixante-dix, quatre-vingts, quatre-vingt-dix. You may occasionally hear septante or nonante from older speakers in rural Quebec, but these are regional anachronisms, not standard.
Why did Belgium and Switzerland keep the simpler forms?
During the 19th century, France underwent significant language standardisation efforts. The Académie française championed the vigesimal forms (soixante-dix, quatre-vingts, quatre-vingt-dix) that had been used in French literature and administration. Belgium and Switzerland, as independent nations, did not participate in this standardisation push and retained the more logical septante, huitante, nonante that their populations had been using.
Which form should I learn?
If you plan to live in or visit France or Quebec, learn the France forms first. If you are moving to Belgium or Switzerland, learn regional forms. Both forms are understood everywhere in the French-speaking world - you will not be misunderstood. However, using septante in Paris will signal that you learned French in Brussels or Geneva.