French Numbers 100 to 1,000,000
Hundreds, Thousands, Millions, Billions
Updated 17 April 2026
Once you have mastered the 70-99 quirks, numbers above 100 in French are largely logical. The key rules involve when cent (hundred) and vingt (twenty) take a plural s, how mille (thousand) behaves differently from million, and the important false-friend difference between the French milliard and billion versus English billion and trillion.
Hundreds (100-999)
The key rule: cent pluralises only when it ends a number and the quantity is greater than one. Deux cents (200), trois cents (300). But deux cent vingt (220), deux cent un (201) - no s because another number follows cent.
| Number | French | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | cent | No article. Stands alone. |
| 200 | deux cents | Pluralises because it ends the number. |
| 201 | deux cent un | No s because a number follows. |
| 220 | deux cent vingt | No s when followed by another number. |
| 300 | trois cents | S at end. |
| 400 | quatre cents | |
| 500 | cinq cents | |
| 600 | six cents | |
| 700 | sept cents | |
| 800 | huit cents | |
| 900 | neuf cents | |
| 999 | neuf cent quatre-vingt-dix-neuf | No s on cent, complex end. |
Thousands (1,000-999,999)
Mille is exceptional: it never takes an article (not "un mille" - just mille) and it never pluralises (deux mille, not deux milles). This is unique among large-number words in French.
| Number | French | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | mille | Not "un mille". Mille never takes "un" or pluralises. |
| 1,001 | mille un | |
| 1,100 | mille cent | |
| 2,000 | deux mille | Mille never adds s (not deux milles). |
| 10,000 | dix mille | |
| 100,000 | cent mille | |
| 999,999 | neuf cent quatre-vingt-dix-neuf mille neuf cent quatre-vingt-dix-neuf |
Millions and Milliards
Million (10^6)
Un million (1,000,000). Unlike mille, million pluralises: deux millions, trois millions. It also requires "de" before a noun: un million d'euros, deux millions de personnes.
1,000,000 = un million
2,000,000 = deux millions
1,500,000 = un million cinq cent mille
Milliard (10^9) - IMPORTANT
Un milliard is 1,000,000,000. This is what English speakers call a billion. Un billion in French is 1,000,000,000,000 (a trillion in English). This false friend causes real confusion in finance and science.
English "billion" = un milliard
English "trillion" = un billion
Writing Years in French
Years follow the same rules as any large number. Modern French always uses mille for thousands. An older spoken style uses the hundreds form for years between 1100 and 1999 (dix-neuf cent for 1900), similar to English "nineteen hundred". The table below shows both options where applicable.
| Year | Modern form | Older spoken form |
|---|---|---|
| 1789 | mille sept cent quatre-vingt-neuf | dix-sept cent quatre-vingt-neuf |
| 1944 | mille neuf cent quarante-quatre | dix-neuf cent quarante-quatre |
| 1999 | mille neuf cent quatre-vingt-dix-neuf | dix-neuf cent quatre-vingt-dix-neuf |
| 2000 | deux mille | - |
| 2026 | deux mille vingt-six | - |
Pluralisation Rules Summary
| Word | Pluralises? | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| vingt | Sometimes | Only when it ends the number and stands alone (quatre-vingts). Not quatre-vingt-un. |
| cent | Sometimes | Only when it ends a round hundred (deux cents) and no number follows. |
| mille | Never | Always mille, regardless of quantity. Deux mille, not deux milles. |
| million | Yes | Deux millions, trois millions. Always pluralises. |
| milliard | Yes | Deux milliards, trois milliards. Always pluralises. |
Try the Converter
Type any number above 100 to see its French form instantly. Try 200, 201, 1000, 2026, or 1000000.
FAQ
Does "cent" (100) pluralise in French?
Yes, but only when it ends a number and the quantity is more than one hundred. Deux cents (200) has an s. Deux cent vingt (220) does not, because vingt follows. This is one of French's few irregular plural rules for numbers.
Does "mille" (1000) pluralise in French?
No. Mille never takes an s in French, regardless of the quantity. Deux mille, trois mille, dix mille - always mille. This distinguishes it from million and milliard, which do pluralise.
How do you say "billion" in French?
This is a false friend. Un milliard in French is 1,000,000,000 (what English calls a billion). Un billion in French is 1,000,000,000,000 (what English calls a trillion). If you are working with large financial or scientific numbers, double-check which system is being used.
How do you write the year 2026 in French words?
Deux mille vingt-six. For years between 1100 and 1999, an older style uses the hundreds format: 1999 can be "dix-neuf cent quatre-vingt-dix-neuf" (nineteen-hundred-ninety-nine). Modern style always uses mille: mille neuf cent quatre-vingt-dix-neuf.