quatre-vingts
/ka.tʁə.vɛ̃/
The French word for eighty is quatre-vingts. Wiktionary also lists huitante and octante.
Meaning: 80 (num)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| quatre-vingts | /ka.tʁə.vɛ̃/ | |
| huitante | /ɥi.tɑ̃t/ | |
| octante | /ɔk.tɑ̃t/ | Switzerland, obsolete |
This number represents 80. While English uses a base-10 system to name this number, standard French uses a vigesimal (base-20) construction.
What does it mean word for word?
The term quatre-vingts is literally composed of quatre (four) and vingt (twenty).
Which one should you use?
The default form is quatre-vingts, but other regional variants exist.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions of Switzerland, you may encounter huitante or octante.
How does it change in a sentence?
The term quatre-vingts takes an 's' at the end only when it is not followed by another number. For example, the 's' is dropped when followed by a number like un (one) to form quatre-vingt-un.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /ka.tʁə.vɛ̃/.
Did you know?
- The French way of saying 'eighty' as quatre-vingts is a linguistic relative of the modern Welsh phrase pedwar ugain.
- In certain regions of Switzerland, the use of octante instead of quatre-vingts acts as a distinct cultural marker of regional identity.
Examples in context
- Il a quatre-vingts ans.He is eighty years old.This sentence is useful for expressing a person's age using quatre-vingts.Tatoeba #8031068 by theachaean, translation #9336022 by AlanF_US
- Il vécut jusqu'à quatre-vingts ans.He lived to be eighty years old.This sentence is useful for expressing how long someone lived using quatre-vingts.Tatoeba #1353808 by sacredceltic, translation #288651 by CK
- La dame a plus de quatre-vingts ans.The lady is over eighty years old.This sentence is useful for describing someone older than eighty using quatre-vingts.Tatoeba #2659976 by Rovo, translation #6826922 by Eccles17
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Emma are looking at a price list in a boutique.
- GabrielCe manteau coûte quatre-vingts euros.This coat costs eighty euros.
- EmmaC'est un peu cher pour moi.That is a bit expensive for me.
- GabrielIl est en promotion, Emma.It is on sale, Emma.
- EmmaD'accord, je vais le prendre.Okay, I will take it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “eighty” translations and entries quatre-vingts, huitante, octante, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries huitante, octante, quatre-vingts, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
