Learn French: Il a gagné un million d'euros.

Il a gagné un million d'euros.

He won a million euros.

Breakdown of Il a gagné un million d'euros.

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Questions & Answers about Il a gagné un million d'euros.

Why do we need d' before euros? I thought numbers went directly in front of the noun.

Normally, they do (like deux euros or cent euros). But million and milliard are actually nouns in French, not number adjectives. Because of this, they act just like the approximative numbers in this lesson (like une dizaine) and must be followed by de (or d' before a vowel) to connect to the thing being counted.

Why do we say un million? Doesn't French usually drop the "a/one" for big numbers?

You might be thinking of mille (a thousand) or cent (a hundred), which do not take an un in front of them. However, because million is a noun, it always needs an article. You must say un million.

If it were two million euros, would million get an "s"?

Yes, it would become deux millions d'euros. Since million is a standard noun, it takes an -s in the plural. This is another way it differs from number adjectives like mille, which never change their spelling.

Could a gagné mean he earned a million euros, rather than won it?

Yes, absolutely! The verb gagner translates to both "to win" (like in a game or lottery) and "to earn" (like a salary). You would need more context to know whether he is a lucky gambler or a successful businessperson.