How do you say the year?

[Jon P. Inghram]

Just curious about something... how do you say the year? I say "Two thousand and three", or sometimes just "Two thousand three."

[drslump]

dos mil tres, in spanish. That will translate exactly as two thousand three

[Gurm]

You could be clever, and say "ought three".

- Gurm

[Wombat]

Re: How do you say the year?

Originally posted by Jon P. Inghram
Just curious about something... how do you say the year? I say "Two thousand and three", or sometimes just "Two thousand three."

Omitting the "and" is the correct form. "Two-thousand and three" would be read as 2000.3

[Jon P. Inghram]

I don't use the "and" part after thinking about some more, I was just over analyzing when I first thought about it... like when you're not sure if you spelled a word correctly, and the more you think about it the more wrong it looks even if it is correct.

Anyway, the reason I brought it up was that while listening to the news on the radio I heard a report about the West Nile virus, and the reporter said something about this year being worse than "twenty oh two." I think it's the first time in "real life" I've heard someone say it that way, just seemed very odd.

[KvHagedorn]

Well, people say nineteen oh eight and not one thousand nine hundred eight, so I suppose twenty oh two is just as correct as the forms we were used to last century.

[Dilitante1]

I call it another 52 weeks in hell myself, job/life/car all suck but nothing new to complain about

[Marshmallowman]

I disagree wombat.

I think two thousand and three is correct for 2003

You would say two thousand one hundred for something like 2100.

The 0 between is significant, but that is english english not amercan english...

Do you think "I'll write you", is correct. because I always think "I'll write to you" is correct, another Americanism?

Hey...Isn't there some english majors lurking at murc?. I am a computer programmer so I am not allowed to know correct grammar or spelling

edit: to add
and two thousand one hundrad AND eighty three for 2183

[Wombat]

Doing Math &lt<!>-<!>&gt English translation, "and" translates to the decimal point. My English is pretty damn good, if I must say. I never say "I'll write you," but I do say "I'll call you."

And get your hyphens in there :P

"Two-thousand, one-hundred"

[Brian Ellis]

Wombat

Never, in all my 71 years, have I heard 'and' substituting for decimal point, even in scientific/mathematical/engineering/economics circles. I've heard 'point', 'comma', 'komma', 'virgule' etc and even one BBC economics anchor uses 'spot', which really grates on my ears.

Personally, I use two thousand and three, for which there is plenty of precedence. For example, I think most people I know say 101 as one hundred and one. Historically, before we started counting in tens, the 'and' was common, such as the biblical three score and ten, which is NOT 60.10! There are vestiges of the same in some other languages, such as French 21 = vingt-ET-un (20 and 1).

But then, it is customary in the US to distort dates beyond all recognition, anyway. Obviously, for computer ease, the ideal would be 20030515, punctuate it as you will. In most countries this is abbreviated conventionally to 15.5.2003 (with different punctuation symbols) which has the merit of being in a logical order. But in N.America (except, thankfully, some parts of the Administration), it has become the illogical 5.15.2003 which is the fifth day of the 15th month Why on earth do you progress from the month, down to the day and then up again to the year??? Same with the written version:
Europe: 15 May 2003 (in spoken language, sometimes 15th of May) or le 15 mai 2003 or 15.Mai 2003
US: May 15, 2003

???

[GNEP]

Brian - "spot" is the accepted form in the financial markets (in London, at least). That's probably where the BBC economist gets it from...

For 2003, "and" is defintely there for me and all my colleagues in London. Without is perhaps an americanism?

[Sethos]

in english language (ambigious as it is...) to say "and" is usually and inclusive addation statement and so hence Two thousand and three would indicate 2003 however the proper english grammer would stipulate that the number be said as "Two thousand Three"

~Sethos

[az]

"Zweitausenddrei" or "Zweitausendunddrei" (literally two-thousand-three or two-thousand-and-three) - we used to say Neunzehnhundertfünfundneunzig (nineteen hundred ninety five).

Date format is 13. 3. 1982 or 13. 03. 1982 or 13. 3. 82 or 13. März 1982, weekday goes before it (Sa., [der/den (optional)] 13. März 1982).

AZ

[Brian Ellis]

Sorry, disagree, Sethos. As GNEP says, your way may be an Americanism, but I don't believe it is English.

BTW, if you are pontificating on English grammar, then you may consider spelling it correctly

[az]

I'm happy to see there are more grammar nuts here than just me

AZ