Inklingo

How to Say "a ton" in Spanish

English → Spanish

chorro

CHOH-rrohˈtʃoro

nounB1informal
Use 'chorro' when you want to express a large, often uncountable, quantity of something, similar to 'a lot' or 'loads'. It's common for abstract things like tasks or problems.
A massive pile of shiny golden apples overflowing from a small wooden crate.

Examples

Tengo un chorro de cosas que hacer hoy.

I have a ton of things to do today.

Había un chorro de gente en la plaza.

There were heaps of people in the square.

Ese coche cuesta un chorro de dinero.

That car costs a whole bunch of money.

Using 'de' for Quantity

Just like 'un montón de', you must always follow 'un chorro' with the word 'de' when describing what you have a lot of.

mil

meelmil

nounA2informal
Use 'mil' (literally 'thousand') informally to emphasize a very large number of countable items, often for hyperbole, like 'thousands of'.
A vast, dense swarm of thousands of colorful butterflies filling the blue sky.

Examples

Hay miles de personas en la playa.

There are thousands of people on the beach.

Te lo he dicho mil veces: ¡limpia tu cuarto!

I've told you a thousand times: clean your room!

¡Mil gracias por tu ayuda!

A thousand thanks for your help!

Using 'Miles de'

To say 'thousands of something', you use the pattern 'miles de + thing'. For example, 'miles de estrellas' (thousands of stars). Don't forget the 'de'!

Forgetting 'de'

Mistake: “Vi miles personas en el concierto.”

Correction: Vi a miles de personas en el concierto. When using 'miles' to mean 'a lot of', you always need to add 'de' before the noun.

Chorro vs. Mil

The most common mistake is using 'mil' for uncountable things or abstract quantities. Remember that 'mil' is best for emphasizing a large number of *countable* items, while 'chorro' is more versatile for both countable and uncountable amounts of 'stuff'.

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.