quatre-vingt-huit
The English phrase eighty eight is translated into French as quatre-vingt-huit.
quatre-vingt-huit is used to express the number that follows eighty-seven.
What does it mean word for word?
The number is literally composed of quatre (four), vingt (twenty) and huit (eight).
How does it change in a sentence?
The word vingt in this number does not take an s at the end, even though it represents a multiple of twenty.
Did you know?
- The way French says 'eighty' as 'four twenties' is similar to how English once said 'four score' to mean eighty. This is why Abraham Lincoln referred to the 'four score and seven years' in the Gettysburg Address.
- In most French-speaking regions, you use quatre-vingt-huit, but in Switzerland and parts of Belgium, you might hear the much simpler quatre-vingt-huit replaced by huitante-huit.
- The number quatre-vingt-huit is part of a vigesimal system based on twenty. This is a remnant of ancient Gaulish counting methods that survived in French while other European languages moved to a decimal system.
Examples in context
- Il a quatre-vingt-huit livres.He has eighty eight books.
- Elle a acheté quatre-vingt-huit pommes.She bought eighty eight apples.
- Il y a quatre-vingt-huit étudiants dans la classe.There are eighty eight students in the classroom.
- Nous devons parcourir quatre-vingt-huit kilomètres.We need to travel eighty eight kilometers.
- Il y a quatre-vingt-huit pages dans ce livre.There are eighty-eight pages in this book.
- Elle a acheté quatre-vingt-huit œufs.She bought eighty-eight eggs.
- Le numéro de la maison est quatre-vingt-huit.The house number is eighty-eight.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are checking the price of an old book.
- GabrielCe livre coûte quatre-vingt-huit euros.This book costs eighty-eight euros.
- LéaC'est un peu cher pour moi.That is a bit expensive for me.
- GabrielMais il est en très bon état.But it is in very good condition.
- LéaJe vais réfléchir encore un peu.I am going to think about it a little more.
