How do you express the years in a date?
In English you would never pronounce the year "1978" as "One thousand nine hundred and seventy eight". You'd say "Nineteen seventy eight", or even just "Seventy eight".
Is the same true in Spanish? How do you say the year in Spanish?
3 Answers
As far as I know Spanish speakers always say the full date (i.e. mil novecientos sesenta y cuatro), or the last two numbers of the year (i.e. sesenta y cuatro).
They also refer to decades in the same way we do. For example, "the 80s" (meaning the 1980s), could be translated as "los años ochenta" or "los ochenta" in Spanish.
The way I have always learned it, the year is said a whole number when given as whole, and not as two separate numbers
Mil novecientos setenta y ocho
not ever
Diecinueve setenta y ocho
Although I think the last part can stand alone as setenta y ocho.
Just like in English.
Sometimes just the two last numbers and sometimes the whole thing.
Edit for Jubilado.
nineteen eighty four = mil novecientos ochenta y cuatro
