Numbers are really important to know if you are planning a trip to a french speaking nation. It should be one of the first things on your list. The numbers might confuse you at start but its not that hard. Learn the first 16 one, memorize them as it is. For rest of them you have to use same English style rules. There are some exceptions but will work.
Rest of them are just combinations.For your help I have included some important tips that I discovered while memorizing the numbers.
The number system is based on a base of sixteen. This is also used in languages like Hindi/Sanskit (By the way, there is astounding similarity between Hindi & French). This is how it goes. There are 16 unique words for first sixteen numbers, memorize them. After that you have the next major change at 20,40,80 i.e. 16 x 1.25, 16 x 2.5, 16 x 5. These are the points where it deviate from English rules. So 17-19, follow english rules i.e. ten plus the unit e.g. 18 is Dix-huit.
20 is spoken as Vingt. After that it follows English rules again e.g 25 is Vingt-Cinq. Once done with that remember 40 is Quatre (remember as quarter). After that it follows the charts again till 79.
At 80 a major change comes. The system does not hits any farther than 79. At eighty it becomes Quatre-Vinqt. This can be remembered as four twenty's. Eight Two is Quatre-Vinqt-Deux. Remember it as Four Twenty's & Two. After that you have to follow this trend only till you reach Hundred i.e. a Cent. From here on back to normal.
