soixante-douze
/swa.sɑ̃t.duz/
The French phrase for seventy-two is soixante-douze. Wiktionary also lists septante-deux.
Meaning: 72 (num)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| soixante-douze | /swa.sɑ̃t.duz/ |
| septante-deux |
What does it mean word for word?
The standard form soixante-douze is literally sixty-twelve.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form septante-deux is used in Switzerland and parts of Belgium.
How do you pronounce it?
/swa.sɑ̃t.duz/. The word has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- If you follow the French logic of 'sixty-twelve' to its conclusion, you will find that ninety-nine is expressed as quatre-vingt-dix-neuf, which literally translates to 'four twenties ten nine'.
- The 'twelve' in soixante-douze is a remnant of an ancient way of counting that was once much more common throughout the entire Francophone world.
- While soixante-douze is the standard in France, speakers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo typically use septante-deux.
Examples in context
- Il y avait soixante-douze personnes à la fête hier soir.There were seventy-two people at the party last night.
- J'ai soixante-douze ans.I am seventy-two years old.
- Nous avons soixante-douze places disponibles.We have seventy-two available seats.
- Elle a reçu soixante-douze roses pour son anniversaire.She received seventy-two roses for her birthday.
- Il a soixante-douze ans.He is seventy-two years old.
- Le livre coûte soixante-douze euros.The book costs seventy-two euros.
- Il y a soixante-douze pages dans ce cahier.There are seventy-two pages in this notebook.
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are looking at a vintage collection of postcards.
- ChloéCombien de cartes y a-t-il dans la boîte ?How many cards are there in the box?
- NathanIl y en a soixante-douze.There are seventy-two of them.
- ChloéC'est un nombre très précis !That is a very precise number!
- NathanOui, je les ai comptées une par une.Yes, I counted them one by one.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “seventy-two” translations and entries soixante-douze, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
