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French large-number quiz: million, milliard and English billion

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Translate and compare ten large quantities in French and English, including decimal commas, millions, milliards and the English billion.

In short

In modern English, one billion is un milliard: 1,000,000,000. French uses a decimal comma, so 1,5 milliard means 1.5 billion; un billion in French is a million million, or one trillion in modern English.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

A broad French riverside construction site with a simple new bridge, two cranes and distant workers, viewed from a leafy bank.
A major public project gives millions and milliards a tangible context. Illustration: Atelier
Study the scale before translating
Value in digitsFrenchModern English
1 000 000un millionone million
1 000 000 000un milliardone billion
1 000 000 000 000un billion / mille milliardsone trillion
2 500 0002,5 millions2.5 million
2 500 000 0002,5 milliards2.5 billion

Le budget passe de 800 millions à 1,2 milliard d’euros.

The budget rises from 800 million to 1.2 billion euros.

French groups thousands with spaces: 1 250 000. English often uses commas: 1,250,000. Before comparing figures, put them on one scale: 1,2 milliard is 1 200 millions. The decimal comma changes how you read the notation; it does not multiply the quantity.

  1. Question 1No account needed
    Translate into modern English.trois milliards

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    three billion. One French milliard equals one modern English billion. Three milliards are 3,000,000,000.

  2. Question 2No account needed
    Translate “two billion” into French.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    2 milliards. “Two billion” in modern English is 2 milliards: 2,000,000,000, not two French billions.

  3. Question 3No account needed
    Read the French decimal comma.1,5 million

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    1,500,000. The comma marks a decimal: one and a half million. Moving it out of the number would change the value.

  4. Question 4No account needed
    Express the same quantity in millions.0,75 milliard

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    750 millions. Multiply 0.75 by 1,000 to convert milliards to millions: 750 million.

  5. Question 5No account needed
    Which quantity is larger?

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    1,2 milliard. Convert 1.2 milliard to 1,200 million. It exceeds 950 million by 250 million.

  6. Question 6No account needed
    Read this French figure in modern English.12,4 milliards

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    12.4 billion. The comma separates the decimal part. The scale word remains billions in English.

  7. Question 7No account needed
    Match the French spaced digits.1 250 000

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    1,250,000. Spaces divide the French number into groups of three digits. English commas can mark those same groups.

  8. Question 8No account needed
    How much is the increase?Le budget passe de 2 milliards à 2,3 milliards d’euros.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    300 millions d’euros. The difference is 0.3 milliard, which equals 300 million. The question asks for the increase, not the final budget.

  9. Question 9No account needed
    Translate “one trillion” into French on this scale.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    mille milliards. A trillion is 1,000,000,000,000 in modern English. French mille milliards, also un billion, expresses that value.

  10. Question 10No account needed
    Select the equal pair.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    4 500 millions = 4,5 milliards. There are 1,000 millions in one milliard. Dividing 4,500 by 1,000 gives 4.5.

  • un milliard = one millionun milliard = one billion

    The French scale word is one thousand times larger than un million.

  • 1,5 million = 15 million1,5 million = 1.5 million

    The French comma marks the decimal part; retain that decimal value in English.

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