die  Million

B1

Estimated CEFR level.

/mɪli̯oˈn/

🔢 What Exactly is a Million?

Die Million (abbreviation: Mio.) is a German noun representing the number 1,000,000 (one million, or a thousand thousand).

It's a feminine noun, which is why the definite article is "die". It's used to express a very large, specific quantity or number.

Example: Eine Million Euro ist viel Geld. (One million Euros is a lot of money.)

🚨 Attention: Although it describes a number, "Million" itself is a noun and is declined accordingly.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar & Declension of 'die Million'

"Die Million" is a feminine noun. Here are the declension tables for singular and plural:

Singular Declension

Plural Declension

Grammar Examples

• Nominative: Eine Million Sterne sind am Himmel. (One million stars are in the sky.)
• Genitive: Der Wert der Million Euro wurde bestätigt. (The value of the million Euros was confirmed. - less common)
• Genitive (more common with 'von'): Der Wert von einer Million Euro. (The value of one million Euros.)
• Dative: Ich träume von einer Million. (I dream of a million.)
• Accusative: Er gewann eine Million im Lotto. (He won a million in the lottery.)
• Plural: Das Projekt kostet Millionen. (The project costs millions.)
• Plural (with number): Drei Millionen Menschen leben hier. (Three million people live here. - Note: "Millionen" often remains unchanged after numbers > 1)

⚠️ When a number greater than 1 directly precedes "Millionen", the word "Millionen" is usually not declined further in the nominative, accusative, and dative cases (e.g., mit drei Millionen Euro, not *mit dreien Millionen Euro*). In the genitive, it's possible: der Wert zweier Millionen Euro (formal) or more commonly: der Wert von zwei Millionen Euro.

🚀 How to Use 'Million'?

"Die Million" is primarily used to state the exact number 1,000,000 or to describe very large, indefinite quantities.

• Exact Number: Das Auto kostet eine Million Dollar. (The car costs one million dollars.)
• Large Quantity (Plural): Millionen von Menschen besuchten das Konzert. / Es gibt Millionen Gründe dafür. (Millions of people attended the concert. / There are millions of reasons for it.)
• Financial Context: Often used regarding money, budgets, profits: Der Umsatz betrug letztes Jahr 5 Millionen Euro. (The turnover was 5 million Euros last year.)
• Science & Statistics: Indicating large numbers: Das Universum ist Millionen von Lichtjahren groß. (The universe is millions of light-years across.)
• Figuratively/Colloquially: To express exaggeration: Ich habe dir das schon eine Million Mal gesagt! (I've told you that a million times!)

Abbreviation: The most common abbreviation is Mio. (e.g., 3 Mio. Euro). Sometimes you might see Mill.

Comparison with Milliarde: Eine Milliarde (die Milliarde) is one thousand million (1,000,000,000).

🧠 Mnemonics for 'die Million'

Article Mnemonic (die): Many German nouns ending in -ion are feminine. Think of English words borrowed into German like die Nation, die Situation, die Position... and also die Million! That ending is your clue for "die".

Meaning Mnemonic (1,000,000): Imagine a MIGHTY pile of money, enough to make you a millionaire. Or picture a MILLipede with a million legs (okay, not really, but it helps imagine a huge number!). It's a massive amount.

↔️ Synonyms & Contrasts

Similar but Different Words

• Millionär/in: Millionaire (male/female) - A person possessing at least one million (usually currency units).
• Milliarde: Thousand million (1,000,000,000) - Equivalent to the English 'billion' (short scale).

😂 A Little Joke

DE: Fragt der Lehrer: "Fritzchen, was kommt nach einer Million?"
Fritzchen überlegt: "Ähm... der Gerichtsvollzieher?"

EN: The teacher asks: "Fritzchen, what comes after a million?"
Fritzchen thinks: "Um... the bailiff?"

✍️ Poem about a Million

DE: Sechs Nullen nach der Eins, so rein,
die Million, mal groß, mal klein.
Mal Geld, mal Sterne, hell und klar,
mal oft gesagt, das ist doch wahr!
Im Kopf oft riesig, schwer zu fassen,
kann Träume bauen oder platzen lassen.

EN Translation: Six zeros after the one, so pure,
the million, sometimes big, sometimes demure.
Sometimes money, sometimes stars, bright and clear,
sometimes often said, that much is dear!
In the mind often huge, hard to grasp,
can build dreams or let them collapse.

❓ Riddle Time

DE: Ich bin 'ne Zahl, ganz schön adrett,
mit einer Eins und Nullen-Ballett.
Sechs Stück davon, die stehen stramm,
Mio. ist mein Telegramm.
Wer bin ich?

Lösung: die Million

EN Translation: I am a number, quite neat,
with a one and a zero-ballet fleet.
Six of them, standing tall,
Mio. is my telegram call.
Who am I?

Answer: die Million (the million)

ℹ️ More Tidbits

• Word Origin: The word "Million" comes from the Italian milione, which is an augmentative (enhancing form) of mille ("thousand"). So, it literally means "a large thousand".
• Capitalization: As a noun, "Million" is capitalized in German (eine Million). When used as part of a number greater than one, it can be lowercased if the number is written out (drei millionen fünfhunderttausend), but capitalization is more common and clearer (drei Millionen...). The abbreviation "Mio." is capitalized.
• International Differences: Be careful with large numbers! German Million (10⁶) = English million. German Milliarde (10⁹) = English billion (short scale). German Billion (10¹²) = English trillion (short scale) or traditional British English billion (long scale - though less common now).