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Learn how to express large numbers in Italian including hundreds, thousands, and millions. Understand the structure and spelling rules such as combining words without spaces, using dots as thousand separators, and the special usage of 'mille' and 'milione'. Essential for practical Italian number comprehension.
  1. For hundreds and thousands, numbers are written together, without spaces: centouno (101).
  2. A point (.) is used to separate thousands. Example: 2.000.
Numero (Number)Esempio (Example)
100: Cento (One hundred)102: Centodue (One hundred and two)
200: Duecento (Two hundred)245: Duecentoquarantacinque (Two hundred forty-five)
300: Trecento (Three hundred)379: Trecentosettantanove (three hundred seventy-nine)
400: Quattrocento (Four hundred)456: Quattrocentocinquantasei (Four hundred and fifty-six)
1.000: Mille (Thousand)1.098: Millenovantotto (One thousand ninety-eight)
2.000: Duemila (Two thousand)2.115: Duemilacentoquindici (Two thousand one hundred fifteen)
1.000.000: Un milione (One million)1.500.000: Un milione cinquecentomila (One million five hundred thousand)

Exceptions!

  1. Mille does not take the article: you say 'mille persone'.
  2. Milione is a noun, it requires 'di': 'un milione di euro'.

Exercise 1: Numeri grandi: centinaia, migliaia, milioni

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

tre milioni cinquataduemila, centocinquantasette, cinquecentocinquantadue, settecentocinquantaquattro, novemilaquattrocentouno, millenovecentonovantanove, trecentounidici, diecimilacentoventitre

1. 9.401:
...
(Nine thousand four hundred one)
2. 1.999:
...
(One thousand nine hundred ninety-nine)
3. 754:
...
(Seven hundred and fifty-four)
4. 311:
...
(Three hundred and nineteen)
5. 157:
...
(One hundred and fifty-seven)
6. 552:
...
(Five hundred and fifty-two)
7. 10.123:
...
(Ten thousand one hundred and twenty-three)
8. 3.052.000:
...
(Three million fifty-two thousand)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Ho comprato ____ mele al mercato stamattina.

(I bought ____ apples at the market this morning.)

2. Abbiamo bisogno di ____ sedie per la riunione.

(We need ____ chairs for the meeting.)

3. Ci sono ____ libri nella biblioteca.

(There are ____ books in the library.)

4. Ho visto ____ persone alla festa ieri sera.

(I saw ____ people at the party last night.)

5. Ci sono ____ studenti nella classe.

(There are ____ students in the class.)

6. È arrivato a casa alle ____.

(He arrived home at ____.)

Understanding Large Numbers in Italian: Hundreds, Thousands, and Millions

This lesson introduces you to expressing large numbers in Italian, focusing on centinaia (hundreds), migliaia (thousands), and milioni (millions). You'll learn how these numbers combine with smaller digits to form complex figures, an essential skill for everyday conversations, shopping, and understanding dates and amounts.

Hundreds: cento and Beyond

Start with hundreds such as cento (100), duecento (200), and trecento (300). Notice that when numbers follow hundreds, they are written together without spaces, for example, centodue (102) and duecentoquarantacinque (245). This fusion creates a smooth pronunciation and natural flow.

Thousands: mille and mila

Thousands are expressed with mille (1,000) and multiples like duemila (2,000). Remember, mille is used without an article, e.g., "mille persone" meaning "a thousand people." When combined with hundreds, the numbers remain joined, such as millenovantotto (1,098).

Millions: Using milione

For millions, use the noun milione. It requires the preposition di, for example, un milione di euro (one million euros). Larger numbers follow the same pattern, like un milione cinquecentomila (1,500,000).

Key Tips and Differences from English

  • In Italian, numbers from 100 upward often combine words without spaces, unlike English which keeps them separate (e.g., "duecentoquarantacinque" vs. "two hundred forty-five").
  • The thousands separator in Italian is a dot (.), so 2,000 is written as 2.000.
  • Mille (thousand) doesn’t use an article, differing from English "a thousand."
  • Milione is a noun and requires "di" when followed by a noun, a structure not required in English.

Familiarizing yourself with these structures will help you understand and use Italian numbers confidently, whether discussing quantities, dates, or prices.

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Fabio Pirioni

Bachelor in Humanities

University of Udine

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Last Updated:

Tuesday, 15/07/2025 02:31