mille
/mil/
The English phrase "one thousand" is translated into French as mille.
mille is used to represent the number that is ten times one hundred.
Which one should you use?
While the word cent (hundred) can take an s in certain plural forms, mille is different because it never changes its form.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word mille is invariable, meaning it does not take an s in the plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/mil/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly add an s to mille when expressing multiples like two thousand, but you should always keep mille invariable.
Did you know?
- The word mille shares the same root as the English word 'mile', even though they represent different concepts in modern usage.
- In French slang, the expression mille et une is often used to describe a huge variety of things, echoing the 'thousand and one' nights of folklore.
- There is a different word for 'thousand' when talking about a 'thousandth' of something, which is milli-. This prefix is used in words like millimètre.
Examples in context
- Mille yens sont-ils suffisants ?Is one thousand yen enough?This sentence is useful for asking if a specific amount of currency is sufficient.Tatoeba #428011 by Archibald, translation #73497 by CK
- Nous estimons le dommage à mille dollars.We estimate the damage at one thousand dollars.This sentence is useful for expressing an estimate of damage in dollars.Tatoeba #461223 by sacredceltic, translation #538956 by darinmex
- Notre école compte environ mille étudiants.Our school has about one thousand students.This sentence is useful for stating the approximate number of students in a school.Tatoeba #5603448 by Aiji, translation #247461 by CK
- Je vais acheter mille croissants pour la réunion.I'm going to buy one thousand croissants for the meeting.
- Il y a un millier d'étoiles dans le ciel.There are a thousand stars in the sky.
- J'ai économisé mille euros pour mes vacances.I saved one thousand euros for my vacation.
- Ce téléphone portable neuf coûte mille balles.This brand-new cell phone costs one thousand bucks.
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are discussing a gift for a friend.
- ManonTu as un budget de mille euros ?Do you have a budget of one thousand euros?
- HugoOui, je peux dépenser mille euros pour son cadeau.Yes, I can spend one thousand euros on his gift.
- ManonC'est beaucoup pour un seul cadeau !That is a lot for a single gift!
- HugoJe sais, mais il le mérite bien.I know, but he really deserves it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry mille, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mille, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
