un billion
In French, "one trillion" is expressed as un billion.
This phrase refers to the number represented by a one followed by twelve zeros (10^12).
Which one should you use?
French speakers often use the phrase mille milliards (one thousand billion) to represent 10^12 to avoid confusion with the English 'billion'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use un trillion to mean 10^12, but in French, un trillion refers to a much larger number (10^18) due to the long scale system.
Did you know?
- The term billion was coined in 1475 by Jehan Adam, who originally wrote it as by-million.
- The word billion is built from the prefix bi-, meaning 'two', because in the long scale it represents a million million.
- Using un trillion in a French business meeting might lead to a massive error, as you would be referring to a number a million times larger than the English 'trillion'.
Examples in context
- Il y a un billion de molécules dans cet échantillon.There are one trillion molecules in this sample.
- Cette entreprise a une valeur d'un billion de dollars.This company has a value of one trillion dollars.
- On estime le nombre d'étoiles à un billion.The number of stars is estimated at one trillion.
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are discussing national budget statistics.
- LéaRegarde, la dette a atteint un billion de dollars.Look, the debt has reached one trillion dollars.
- HugoC'est vraiment impressionnant, Hugo ne peut pas imaginer ça.That is truly impressive, Hugo cannot imagine that.
- LéaC'est un montant colossal pour un pays.It is a colossal amount for a country.
- HugoOui, un billion est un nombre presque abstrait.Yes, one trillion is an almost abstract number.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries billion, un, CC BY-SA 4.0.
