quatre-vingt-dix
/ka.tʁə.vɛ̃.dis/Canada, France
The French word for ninety is quatre-vingt-dix. Wiktionary also lists nonante.
Meaning: 90 (num)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| quatre-vingt-dix | /ka.tʁə.vɛ̃.dis/ /ka.tʁə.vɛ̃.di/ |
Canada, France |
| nonante | /nɔ.nɑ̃t/ | Belgium, Congo Kinshasa, Rwanda, Switzerland |
Both quatre-vingt-dix and nonante are used to represent the number 90.
What does it mean word for word?
The standard form quatre-vingt-dix literally translates to four-twenty-ten.
Which one should you use?
The form quatre-vingt-dix is used in France and Canada, while nonante is used in Belgium, Switzerland and parts of Africa such as Congo-Kinshasa and Rwanda.
Is it said differently in some regions?
quatre-vingt-dix is the form used in France and Canada. nonante is the form used in Belgium, Switzerland, Congo-Kinshasa and Rwanda.
How do you pronounce it?
/ka.tʁə.vɛ̃.dis/
Did you know?
- The structure of quatre-vingt-dix is a remnant of a vigesimal system used by ancient Celts and Gauls, who counted in groups of twenty instead of ten.
- The word nonante shares its roots with the Latin 'nōnāgintā', which is the direct ancestor of the English word 'nonagenarian'.
- The word nonante is not a modern invention of Belgium or Switzerland but was actually used in France during the Middle Ages before the base-twenty forms became dominant.
Examples in context
- Elle a vécu jusqu'à nonante ans.She lived to be ninety.This sentence shows how to use nonante when talking about age.Tatoeba #4760122 by sacredceltic, translation #310222 by CK
- Peu de gens vivent jusqu'à nonante ans.Few people live to be ninety years old.This sentence uses nonante to describe a group of people living to a certain age.Tatoeba #584829 by sacredceltic, translation #72303 by CK
- Nous sommes les quatre-vingt-dix-neuf pour cent.We are the ninety-nine percent.This sentence uses quatre-vingt-dix within a percentage.Tatoeba #9663603 by Rovo, translation #9664034 by shekitten
- Nonante-septNinety-seven
- Nonante-huitNinety-eight
- 26 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Emma are looking at an old book in a shop.
- GabrielCe livre a quatre-vingt-dix pages.This book has ninety pages.
- EmmaC'est un peu court, non ?That is a bit short, isn't it?
- GabrielOui, mais il est très intéressant.Yes, but it is very interesting.
- EmmaJe vais l'acheter quand même.I am going to buy it anyway.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ninety” translations and entries quatre-vingt-dix, nonante, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nonante, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
