Especially for businessmen, but just as vital for serial shoppers, it is important to learn the French translation for numbers over one hundred. There are a few discrepancies that can absolutely break the bank.
Mille equals one thousand and million is the same as in English. However, milliard equals a billion, and billion equals a French trillion. In effect, 'mille' starts off three different words which signify despairingly different amounts of money and the distinction is sometimes hard to catch. Some dictionaries will tell you that trillion signifies the same amount in both French and English, but Wikipedia gets it right.
Don't be afraid to ask for the amount to be repeated, or ideally, have the number jotted it down, decimals and all.
These confusing variations can happen in many languages and Wikipedia gives a really interesting explanation of the two different numerical systems according to long or short scales. This is all new to me and I thank my sister Nancy for the link.
