Punto o virgula'/ Period or comma?

Question

In America we write money and dates with periods and commas, as do Europeans with puntos and virgulas. But, they are reversed as to sequence, i.e. $3,400.25 is three thousand four hundred and 25 cents. In Euros it would be (forget the exchange rate), (Euro symbol) 3.400,25. Tres mil cuatro centos y ventay cinco euros, I think.

How does one say it when spelling it out? In English I might say three comma four zero zero point two five. A local Los Angeles radio station says its identicaiton as cento siete punto cinco, 107.5 FM, even though in Spanish it is a Los Angeles Mexian station, obviously using America punctuation.

So, the question is, how would you say an average of 10.5 points per game of his shots, as in a basketball/baloncesto average scroing of a player? Or the radio station 107.5? Or the money item 3,400.25?

In English we might say ten point five baskets per game. But in Europe what would you use for the comma, 10,5 points per game. Can it be diez punto cinco puntos'

Answer 1

The FM radio frequency is 104.6 mega-Hertz, that is 104.600.000 Hertz in the Spanish system, and is shortened to 104.6

See, there is a reason!

Answer 2

In that case, I leave this discussion to superior knowledge.

Answer 3

*3.2. Es conveniente no usar punto, sino coma, para separar las unidades enteras y los decimales. Por influencia de la lengua inglesa, esto se suele hacer, por ejemplo, tratándose de frecuencias de emisoras: 104.6 (en vez de 104,6).

Diccionario de dificultades y dudas de la lengua española.*

Answer 4

Never underestimate the potential of human stupidity. It's cooler to copy what English speakers do! The comma is also used, of course.

Answer 5

But why is a "." used for the radio number? I thought a comma was used to separate decimals from whole numbers in Europe. Are radio frequencies an exception to this rule'

Answer 6

He's got a point: We'd write that amount as "$3400,25".

Answer 7

In Spain we read $3,400.25 as "Tres mil cuatrocientos, coma veinticinco ($3400,25)" and "10.5 points" as "diez coma 5 puntos (10,5)".
However, we read "107.5 FM" as "Ciento siete punto cinco efe eme" sometimes instead of the logical "coma".

Answer 8

Eddy, I think Bernard is asking how to READ such things as 107,5 (radio) and $3.400,25. I, too, would like to know the answer to that.

That is, do you READ the comma as "punto"'

Answer 9

In units, "nomeclatura" it would be 3.400 (three thousand four hundred)
In decimals "las decimales" it would be 10,5 (ten point five)