miles
“miles” means “thousands” in Spanish (referring to a large number).
thousands
Also: a great many, loads of
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Hay miles de estrellas en el cielo.
A2There are thousands of stars in the sky.
Gastaron miles de euros en el viaje.
B1They spent thousands of euros on the trip.
Te lo he dicho miles de veces, ¡limpia tu cuarto!
B1I've told you thousands of times, clean your room!
El concierto atrajo a miles de fanáticos.
B1The concert attracted thousands of fans.
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: miles
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly says 'I traveled thousands of miles'?
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👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'milia', which was the plural of 'mille', meaning 'thousand'. So, it has always meant 'thousands'!
First recorded: Around the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'miles' and 'millares'?
They both mean 'thousands', but 'millares' is a bit more formal or literary. You'll hear 'miles' much more often in everyday conversation. For most situations, 'miles' is the word you want.
Can I say 'dos miles' for two thousand?
No, that's a great question! For specific numbers, you just use 'mil'. So, 'two thousand' is 'dos mil', 'three thousand' is 'tres mil', and so on. 'Mil' doesn't become plural in these cases. You only use 'miles' for unspecified large amounts, like 'thousands of cars'.