mil
/ˈmil/masculine
The Spanish word for thousand is mil. Wiktionary also lists millar.
Meaning: cardinal number 1000 (num)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| mil | /ˈmil/ | masculine |
| millar | /miˈʝaɾ/ | masculine |
mil is the cardinal number 1000. It is also commonly used to refer to the year 1000 or to denote the 1900s, such as in mil novecientos ochenta for 1980.
Which one should you use?
mil is the standard cardinal number, while millar refers to a thousand.
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike many other Spanish numbers, mil does not change its form for gender or number when used as a cardinal number. For example, dos mil remains constant.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmil/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying un mil to mean 'a thousand'. In Spanish, you simply say mil when the number one is implied.
Did you know?
- The word mil shares its distant roots with the English word 'mile', as both stem from the same Latin concept of a thousand units.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, the phrase mil veces is used not just for counting, but as a common way to intensify an apology or a request for forgiveness.
- The word mil is used in the Spanish phrase mil gracias to express deep gratitude, effectively saying 'a thousand thanks'.
Examples in context
- Te deben mil yenes.A thousand yen is owed to you.This sentence shows how to express an amount of yen owed using mil.Tatoeba #1390631 by marcelostockle, translation #17573 by The_Shrike
- Necesito dos mil coches.I need two thousand cars.This sentence demonstrates using mil to quantify cars.Tatoeba #12042557 by Shishir, translation #12041435 by ddnktr
- Costará más de mil yenes.It'll cost over a thousand yen.This sentence illustrates using mil to describe a cost exceeding a certain amount.Tatoeba #455702 by Shishir, translation #454493 by CM
- diez mil unidadesTen thousand units
- Visitamos mil museos durante nuestro viaje.We visited a thousand museums during our trip.
- Gana diez mil dólares al mes.He earns ten thousand dollars a month.
- Vendieron cuatro mil boletos en tan solo un día.They sold four thousand tickets in just one day.
- Hay dos mil personas en el concierto.There are two thousand people at the concert.
- 163 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are discussing the price of a used laptop.
- AlejandroEsta computadora cuesta mil euros.This computer costs one thousand euros.
- ElenaEs muy cara para ser vieja.It is very expensive for being old.
- AlejandroPero tiene mil gigabytes de memoria.But it has one thousand gigabytes of memory.
- ElenaEstá bien, voy a comprarla.Alright, I am going to buy it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thousand” translations and entries mil, millar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mil, millar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
