Inklingo

How to Say "thousand" in Spanish

English → Spanish

mil

meelmil

Number / AdjectiveA1General
Use 'mil' when referring to the number 1,000 itself, or when it functions as an adjective modifying a noun.
A small red bird perched on a huge, neat pile of one thousand identical green apples.

Examples

Este teléfono cuesta mil euros.

This phone costs a thousand euros.

La ciudad fue fundada en el año mil novecientos.

The city was founded in the year nineteen hundred.

Necesito dos mil dólares para el viaje.

I need two thousand dollars for the trip.

Stays the Same in Plural

Unlike other numbers, 'mil' doesn't change when you put another number before it. It's 'dos mil' (2,000), 'cinco mil' (5,000), 'cien mil' (100,000), etc. The word 'mil' itself stays the same.

No 'Un' Needed

When you mean exactly 1,000, you just say 'mil', not 'un mil'. For example, 'Tengo mil libros' (I have a thousand books).

Saying 'un mil'

Mistake: “Compré un mil cosas en el mercado.”

Correction: Compré mil cosas en el mercado. You only need to say 'mil' for 'one thousand'. The 'un' is not necessary and sounds unnatural.

millar

mee-YARmiˈʎar

NounB1General
Use 'millar' when referring to a set or group consisting of 1,000 units, often used with 'un' (a) or 'un' + quantity.
A vast, neatly organized grid of small, colorful wooden blocks filling the entire frame.

Examples

Compramos un millar de hojas de papel para la oficina.

We bought a thousand sheets of paper for the office.

Millares de personas protestaron en las calles.

Thousands of people protested in the streets.

El costo por millar de ladrillos ha subido este mes.

The cost per thousand bricks has gone up this month.

Using 'de' with millar

Unlike the number 'mil', the word 'millar' always needs the word 'de' (of) before the thing you are counting. Think of it like saying 'a group of' a thousand.

Millar vs. Mil

Use 'mil' for exact counting (1,000). Use 'millar' when you want to emphasize the total set or group of a thousand, especially in business or when talking about huge crowds in the plural.

Forgetting the 'de'

Mistake: “Un millar personas.”

Correction: Un millar DE personas. Because 'millar' acts like a regular noun (like 'box' or 'group'), it needs 'de' to connect to the next word.

Mil vs. Millar: Number vs. Group

The most common mistake is using 'millar' as a direct substitute for the number 'mil'. Remember, 'mil' is the numeral (1,000), while 'millar' refers to a group or set of 1,000 items.

Related Translations

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