Un millier de touristes visiteraient ce monument.

Questions & Answers about Un millier de touristes visiteraient ce monument.

The lesson is about the suffix -aine for approximate numbers. Why is 'about a thousand' translated as un millier here?
While most numbers use the feminine suffix -aine to show an approximation (like une centaine for 'about a hundred'), 1,000 is an exception. It becomes un millier and is a masculine noun.
Why is it de touristes instead of des touristes?
Because un millier is a noun expressing a quantity. Just like with beaucoup de or une dizaine de, you must use the preposition de (without the definite article) immediately after an expression of quantity.
Why is the verb visiteraient in the conditional tense here?
In French, the conditional tense is frequently used in news and reporting to share unverified information, rumors, or estimations. Using visiteraient implies that this number is a reported estimate rather than a confirmed fact.
As a quick refresher, why do we use ce for 'this' monument instead of cet?
Monument is a masculine singular noun that starts with a consonant, so it takes ce. You only use cet for masculine singular nouns that start with a vowel or a mute H (like cet hôtel).

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