French uses mille for thousand, million for million, and milliard for billion (US trillion). Mille is invariable; million and milliard are treated as nouns and agree in plural with matching articles.
| Number | French | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | mille | No plural or article for 1000+ |
| 1,000,000 | un million | Plural millions, full noun use |
| 1,000,000,000 | un milliard | Plural milliards, like million |
Mille (Thousand)
Mille means “thousand.” Unlike most French nouns, mille is invariable and never takes an article in front of it when counting.
- 1,000 = mille
- 2,000 = deux mille
- 10,000 = dix mille
You simply place the number (as a cardinal number) before mille. There is no plural form (milles does not exist).
- mille = 1,000
- No plural for mille
- Just [number] + mille for multiples (2,000 = deux mille)
Exercise
Explain why "deux mille" is correct but "deux milles" would be wrong for 2,000.
'deux mille' is correct; 'mille' remains invariable.
Correct: "mille" (1,000) and "trois mille" (3,000).
Million (Million)
Million is a noun, so it behaves like other French nouns: it takes an article, agrees in number, and is capitalized only at the start of a sentence.
- 1,000,000 = un million
- 2,000,000 = deux millions
- 10,000,000 = dix millions
Because million is a noun, you must use the plural form (millions) when there is more than one, and it is common to hear a currency or item after it (e.g., "deux millions d'euros").
- 1,000,000 → un million
- 2,000,000 → deux millions (plural with 's')
- Treat million as a noun, not an adjective
Exercise
Compare the French for 1,000 and 1,000,000. Why is "million" treated differently than "mille"?
'un million' and 'deux millions' are correct. 'Mille' is for thousands.
Use 'un million' for one million and 'deux millions' for two million.
Milliard (Billion)
In French, milliard means 1,000,000,000 (one billion). It is also a noun, so it follows the same rules as million:
- 1,000,000,000 = un milliard
- 2,000,000,000 = deux milliards
Note: The English "billion" can be confusing because it equals milliard in French.
- 1,000,000,000 = un milliard
- 2,000,000,000 = deux milliards
- Like million, milliard is a noun with plural and articles
Exercise
If "million" and "milliard" are nouns, what is the correct French for 3,000,000,000?
'Three billion' is 'trois milliards' in French.
'Un milliard' and 'deux milliards' are correct for 1 and 2 billion.
Summary
| Term | French | Plural | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thousand | mille | (none) | Invariable, no article |
| Million | million | millions | Noun, use article and plural |
| Billion | milliard | milliards | Noun, same rules as million |
French large numbers mix invariable (mille) with noun forms (million, milliard), so attention to agreement and usage is key.
- mille is for thousands, never pluralized.
- million and milliard are nouns and agree in number.
- "Milliard" is used for billion, not "billion."
'mille' is thousand, 'milliard' is billion—key for large numbers.
mille, million, and milliard.
Conclusion
French use mille for thousands (invariable), million for millions, and milliard for billions. Million and milliard are nouns and change in plural; mille stays the same.
- 1,000 = mille; 2,000 = deux mille (no plural)
- 1,000,000 = un million; 2,000,000 = deux millions (plural!)
- 1,000,000,000 = un milliard; 2,000,000,000 = deux milliards