How do you read these numbers?

Question

I would like to know all the possible ways to read the following numbers which could be telephone/cell numbers, social security/ID numbers, credit numbers, a figure, etc. How do you "group" the numbers? Do you group them by pairs? Or do you read each number one by one?

(1) 0800-800-100

(2) 0800-800-000

(3) 0800-024-365

(4) 900876540

(5) 1200-0034-5006-7000

(6) 0900-0000-01

(7) 0933-300-003

(8) 1000-2003-4050-6007

(9) 3.14159

Answer 1

Hi there!

I would read them like this (not the only way to do it):

1. cero, ochocientos - ochocientos - cien.
2. cero, ochocientos - ochocientos - cero, cero, cero.
3. cero, ochocientos - cero, veinticuatro - trescientos sesenta y cinco.
4. novecientos - ocho, siete, seis - cinco, cuatro, cero.
5. doce, cero, cero - cero, cero, treinta y cuatro - cincuenta, cero, seis - setenta, cero, cero.
6. cero, novecientos - cero, cero, cero, cero (4 ceros) - cero, uno.
7. cero, nueve, tres, tres - trescientos - cero, cero, tres.
8. diez, cero, cero - veinte, cero, tres - cuarenta, cincuenta - sesenta, cero, siete.
9. tres (coma) catorce, quince, nueve.

Un saludo.

Hi, RelaxingCup. Sorry, I revised my question. Would you please edit your answer? - joygogo, Dec 13, 2013

:) - RelaxingCup, Dec 13, 2013

Many thanks! So, for the last four digits of Q5, you wouldn't say “siete mil”, and for the first four digits of Q8, you wouldn't say “mil”, would you? - joygogo, Dec 13, 2013

That's right. You can say "siete mil" and "mil" but to avoid mistakes is better to gather the numbers in groups as little as possible. If I say "siete mil..." it could be 7xxx (where the x are more numbers). For efficiency of the language: "70", "0", "0". - RelaxingCup, Dec 13, 2013

In (9), isn't that "punto" after the 3? Or do you actually write 3,14159? - Raja-jani, Dec 13, 2013

Got it! Muchas gracias! One more question, how do you say your country's money for 100 dollars and what's its shortened form(e.g. US$100, JP¥100)? - joygogo, Dec 14, 2013

Answer 2

My knowledge of Spanish is limited but I do get to speak with Spanish speakers. They know that dos ocho cinco is understood much more easily than dos cientos y ochenta y cinco. It's the same way in English: two eight five is understood more easily than two hundred eighty five. So that's what I do.

Thanks and l agree with you, but when you tell someone a many-digit number like the above (1) and (8), do you still do this way? - joygogo, Dec 13, 2013

Yes, that's bigger reason to say one digit at a time! - Raja-jani, Dec 13, 2013

l see, thanks. By the way, how do you say “US$100” in Spanish? And what's the shortened form for “100 pesos”? - joygogo, Dec 13, 2013

They say "cien dólares americanos." I don't know about pesos. - Raja-jani, Dec 13, 2013

Hola, Rajaji. For your question about "punto" or "coma", I strongly recommend you an excellent lesson about "Los números" produced by Kiwi-Girl, http://learnenglishspanishonline.com/spanish/los-numeros-spanish-numbers/ Look at Page 37. - joygogo, Dec 14, 2013