Every non-French speaker is confused about this, and we’re out there scratching our heads cause how easy is it, really ? Sixty-ten, 60+10 = 70, nothing too rough yeah ?
But I get it. As /u/Rasedro says, there’s a competing system of numbers that uses “septante”, “octancte” and “nonante” (although I’ve heard “octante” has fallen out of use) for 70, 80 and 90.
Also, if you’re interested, for a long time France used the Celtic numbers systems, that was base 20. In French, people would say dix, vingt, vingt-dix, deux-vingt, deux-vingt-dix, trois-vingt, trois-vingt-dix, and so on.
That’s called the vicesimal system. For instance, a hospital that was founded in 1260 is called the Hospital des Quinze-Vingts, because there were 300 beds (15 x 20 = 300).
Around the 1400s, the soixante, septante, octante, nonante system replaced what would then be “Trois-vingt” (60), “trois-vingt-dix” (70), “quatre-vingt” (80) “quatre-vingt-dix” (90).
Then, in the 1600s, the first dictionaries and grammar methods that “settled” what the French language should be decided to mix both systems. We’re not sure why, but apparently it’s supposed to make basic math easier for schoolchildren.
French-speaking regions that wer never a part of France, or not for long enough to be influenced by that specific version of French language kept septante, octante and nonante.
The Danish counting system is like that too, but goes even Further than French.
In French, you have 70 [60+10], 80 [4×20], and 90 [4×20+10] and that’s it (in Molière, there’s also [6×20], “les six-vingts” for 120).
In Danish, you have 50 [3rd ½ x 20], 60 [3×20], 70 [4th ½ x 20], 80 [4×20], 90 [5th ½ x 20].
People often make fun of the French counting system, but beside this oddity, it’s short and clean. Consider “11 813”
French: onze mille huit cent treize (5 syllables).
English: eleven thousand height hundred and thirteen (11 syllables).
France baise ouais.
it’s just a beginnig, try grammar, words genre, exceptions in every rule.. lol.
I’m Flemish and when talking to my French speaking ‘countrymen’, I tend to use soixante-dix and quatre-vingt-dix. Just to piss ’em off.
90 = fur twentys and ten 😂
Qutre-vingt-onze
my favorite is 1977
Dix neuf cent soixante dix sept.
[Relevant numberphile video](https://youtu.be/l4bmZ1gRqCc), it’s not as weird as a lot of other systems out there.
you have the wrong flag
Well if you wan’t to speak with us, the greatest civilisation that ever exist you need to deserv it !
15 comments
Fun fact : in Belgian and Swiss French, you can actually say « septante » (seventy), « octante »(eighty) and « nonante » (ninety)
It’s pretty weird really, we were born with it so we don’t really think about it.
English has it’s own quirks though : http://www.madore.org/~david/misc/english-pronunciation.html 😀
The reason is the [vigesimal system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigesimal#Use).
Wait until you learn to count to 80 and 90…
Edit: good meme tho
Every non-French speaker is confused about this, and we’re out there scratching our heads cause how easy is it, really ? Sixty-ten, 60+10 = 70, nothing too rough yeah ?
But I get it. As /u/Rasedro says, there’s a competing system of numbers that uses “septante”, “octancte” and “nonante” (although I’ve heard “octante” has fallen out of use) for 70, 80 and 90.
Also, if you’re interested, for a long time France used the Celtic numbers systems, that was base 20. In French, people would say dix, vingt, vingt-dix, deux-vingt, deux-vingt-dix, trois-vingt, trois-vingt-dix, and so on.
That’s called the vicesimal system. For instance, a hospital that was founded in 1260 is called the Hospital des Quinze-Vingts, because there were 300 beds (15 x 20 = 300).
Around the 1400s, the soixante, septante, octante, nonante system replaced what would then be “Trois-vingt” (60), “trois-vingt-dix” (70), “quatre-vingt” (80) “quatre-vingt-dix” (90).
Then, in the 1600s, the first dictionaries and grammar methods that “settled” what the French language should be decided to mix both systems. We’re not sure why, but apparently it’s supposed to make basic math easier for schoolchildren.
French-speaking regions that wer never a part of France, or not for long enough to be influenced by that specific version of French language kept septante, octante and nonante.
The Danish counting system is like that too, but goes even Further than French.
In French, you have 70 [60+10], 80 [4×20], and 90 [4×20+10] and that’s it (in Molière, there’s also [6×20], “les six-vingts” for 120).
In Danish, you have 50 [3rd ½ x 20], 60 [3×20], 70 [4th ½ x 20], 80 [4×20], 90 [5th ½ x 20].
People often make fun of the French counting system, but beside this oddity, it’s short and clean. Consider “11 813”
French: onze mille huit cent treize (5 syllables).
English: eleven thousand height hundred and thirteen (11 syllables).
France baise ouais.
it’s just a beginnig, try grammar, words genre, exceptions in every rule.. lol.
I’m Flemish and when talking to my French speaking ‘countrymen’, I tend to use soixante-dix and quatre-vingt-dix. Just to piss ’em off.
90 = fur twentys and ten 😂
Qutre-vingt-onze
my favorite is 1977
Dix neuf cent soixante dix sept.
[Relevant numberphile video](https://youtu.be/l4bmZ1gRqCc), it’s not as weird as a lot of other systems out there.
you have the wrong flag
Well if you wan’t to speak with us, the greatest civilisation that ever exist you need to deserv it !
What ? Who said we are arrogant ???? haha