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Learn how to form and use large numbers in Italian, including "cento" (100), "mille" (1,000), and "milione" (1,000,000), with examples like "centodue" (102) and "duemilacentoquindici" (2,215). Understand number combining rules and correct punctuation (e.g., using a point for thousands).
  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, Millions

This lesson introduces you to the structure and usage of large numbers in Italian, focusing on cento (hundred), mille (thousand), and milione (million). It is designed for A1 beginners, helping you recognize and pronounce these numerals, as well as combine them with other numbers to form complex figures.

Hundreds (Centinaia)

Italian hundreds are expressed by combining digits with cento without spaces. For example:

  • 100: cento
  • 102: centodue
  • 245: duecentoquarantacinque
  • 379: trecentosettantanove

Note how numbers are written as one word, linking hundred and following digits consecutively.

Thousands (Migliaia)

The Italian term for a thousand is mille (singular) and mila (plural). Similar to hundreds, thousands are written joined to other numbers:

  • 1,000: mille
  • 1,098: millenovantotto
  • 2,000: duemila
  • 2,115: duemilacentoquindici

Thousands are often separated by a period (.) for readability, e.g., 2.000 for two thousand.

Millions (Milioni)

For millions, Italian uses milione as a noun, so it requires the preposition di when followed by a noun:

  • 1,000,000: un milione
  • 1,500,000: un milione cinquecentomila
  • Example phrase: un milione di euro (one million euros)

Important Notes on Number Formation

  • Compound numbers like 101 are written as centouno, joining hundred and one without spaces.
  • Mille does not require a definite article, so you say mille persone (a thousand people), not il mille persone.

Comparison between English and Italian Number Usage

Unlike English, Italian composes many large numbers as single unspaced words (duecentoquarantacinque instead of "two hundred forty-five"). Furthermore, the use of the preposition di is essential after milione when indicating quantity followed by a noun (un milione di + noun), a structure that does not exist in English. Also, Italian does not use an article before mille, whereas English always needs "a" or "one" before "thousand".

Useful Words and Phrases

  • Cento — one hundred
  • Duecentoquarantacinque — two hundred forty-five
  • Mille — one thousand
  • Duemilacentoquindici — two thousand one hundred fifteen
  • Un milione di... — one million of...

Written by

This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

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Fabio Pirioni

Bachelor in Humanities

University of Udine

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 17/07/2025 14:45