2008 in French
deux mille huit
Spellings verified June 2026 · page updated 2 October 2026
Global financial crisis
NUMERAL
2 008
FRENCH
deux mille huit
IPA
/dø.mil.ɥit/
Breakdown
Ordinal form
Ranking things rather than counting them: 2,008 becomes deux mille huitième, written 2 008e in figures.
MASCULINE
deux mille huitième
2 008e
FEMININE
deux mille huitième
2 008e (same word as the masculine)
French writes the abbreviation with a plain e, never ème: 2 008e. The Académie française allows two irregular pairs: premier and première abbreviate 1er and 1re, and second and seconde abbreviate 2d and 2de. Full rules on the ordinal numbers reference.
Counting around 2008
2 007
deux mille sept
2 008
deux mille huit
2 009
deux mille neuf
Real sentence examples
“La crise financière de deux mille huit a touché toute l'Europe.”
“Le traité de Lisbonne a été signé en deux mille sept et ratifié en deux mille huit.”
Year context
In 2008, the global financial crisis triggered by the Lehman Brothers collapse (15 September 2008) hit Europe in autumn. France signed the Treaty of Lisbon on 13 December 2007; ratification by the French parliament concluded on 8 February 2008, ahead of EU-wide entry into force on 1 December 2009.
Pronunciation and morphology notes
Years from 2000 onward use the modern "deux mille X" form. The number 8 (huit) keeps its /ɥit/ pronunciation here even though following mille; the h is aspirate and blocks liaison.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 2008 in French?
2,008 in French is "deux mille huit". It is built as 2000 + 8 = 2008.
How is deux mille huit (2008) pronounced in French?
In the International Phonetic Alphabet, "deux mille huit" is transcribed /dø.mil.ɥit/. Use the audio button on this page to hear the standard French pronunciation.
What is the ordinal form of 2008 in French?
The ordinal for 2008 is "deux mille huitième", abbreviated 2 008e. The form is the same in the masculine and the feminine.
How is 2008 used in a French sentence?
A natural example is: "La crise financière de deux mille huit a touché toute l'Europe."
Related numbers
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