All grammar

In short

70 is soixante-dix, 71 soixante et onze, 80 quatre-vingts, 81 quatre-vingt-un, 90 quatre-vingt-dix. Quatre-vingts and cents keep -s only when no number follows: deux cents, deux cent un. Mille never takes -s. Ask Combien coûte...? (one item), Combien coûtent...? (several), or Ça fait combien ?

Grammar

Numbers 70-1000 and combien

Standard French builds 70 to 99 from sixty and eighty. 70 is soixante-dix (sixty-ten), 71 is soixante et onze, 72 to 79 are soixante-douze, soixante-treize, and so on. 80 is quatre-vingts (four-twenties), 81 is quatre-vingt-un, 90 is quatre-vingt-dix and 99 is quatre-vingt-dix-neuf. Quatre-vingts takes an -s only when no other number follows it.

100 is cent, 200 is deux cents, 201 is deux cent un (the -s goes when another number follows), and 1000 is mille, which never takes an -s: deux mille. In Belgium and Switzerland, people say septante (70) and nonante (90), and in parts of Switzerland huitante (80), which are simpler.

To ask a price, use Combien coûte... ? for one item and Combien coûtent... ? for several: Combien coûtent ces chaussures ? Or ask Ça fait combien ? You can also say C'est combien ? Answer with the verb coûter or just the amount: Ça coûte quatre-vingt-dix euros, or Quatre-vingt-dix euros.

70soixante-dix
71soixante et onze
80quatre-vingts
81quatre-vingt-un
90quatre-vingt-dix
100cent
200deux cents
1000mille

Ce vélo coûte soixante-quinze euros.

This bike costs seventy-five euros.

Combien coûte ce pull ?

How much does this sweater cost?

Ça fait quatre-vingt-dix euros.

That comes to ninety euros.

Il y a cent personnes ici.

There are a hundred people here.

Combien coûtent ces chaussures ?

How much do these shoes cost?

Traps to avoid

  • Soixante-dix-un euros.

    Soixante et onze euros.

    71 is built on sixty + eleven, with et, not on seventy + one. 72 is then soixante-douze.

  • Quatre-vingts-un euros.

    Quatre-vingt-un euros.

    The -s on quatre-vingts only stays when no other number follows it. The same goes for cents: deux cents, but deux cent un.

  • Deux milles euros.

    Deux mille euros.

    English says "two thousand" without -s too, but French learners often add it by analogy with cents. Mille never changes.

Drill it

From the lesson Prices and big numbers. Type each answer, no multiple choice. 20 drills on this rule.

Soixante- (70)

Seventy

Soixante et (71)

Seventy-one

Quatre-vingt- (91)

Ninety-one

Deux euros (200)

Two hundred euros

Combien ce pull ?

How much does this sweater cost?

Combien ces chaussures ?

How much do these shoes cost?