"billion (a thousand million)" in seven languages
Meaningbillion (a thousand million)
Spanish
/mil miˈʝones/
other source · Spanish mil 'thousand' + millones 'millions'
Billón is a million million (10¹²) — a classic trap.
French
/miljaʁ/
masc.other source · French, from million
Un billion is a million million (10¹²).
Italian
/miˈljardo/
masc.other source · French milliard
Portuguese
/biˈʎɐ̃w/
masc.other source · French billion
In Portugal a bilião is a million million (10¹²) and 10⁹ is mil milhões.
Romanian
/miliˈard/
neut.other source · French milliard
Bilion is a million million (10¹²).
Catalan
/mil miliˈons/
other source · Catalan mil 'thousand' + milions 'millions'
Bilió is a million million (10¹²).
English
/ˈbɪljən/
other source · French billion (bi- + million)
The story
English billion means 10⁹, but its look-alikes billón, billion and bilione mean 10¹². Say mil millones, milliard, miliardo.
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In a sentence
- esEl proyecto costó dos mil millones de euros.
- frLe projet a coûté deux milliards d'euros.
- itIl progetto è costato due miliardi di euro.
- ptO projeto custou dois bilhões de euros.
- roProiectul a costat două miliarde de euro.
- caEl projecte va costar dos mil milions d'euros.
- enThe project cost two billion euros.