this post was submitted on 14 Apr 2026
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In American English a period ( . ) is used as a decimal separator, but there are other places in the world where a comma ( , ) is used.

I would read a quantity of 7.5 as "seven point five" written as-is. But if you use a pause and not a point how do you read the number aloud?

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[–] Don_alForno@feddit.org 2 points 2 hours ago

The same as you. "Sieben komma fünf"

[–] gegil@sopuli.xyz 4 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

On ukraininan its "Сім цілих п'ять десятих", or "Seven whole (and) five tenths". If the decimal is 5, then you just say "Сім з половиною", or "seven and a half". Whether comma or period is used, it does not matter.

[–] kindnesskills@literature.cafe 63 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Seven comma five.

It sounds normal when it's not translated to English.

Same in Dutch.

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 9 points 21 hours ago

Sieben Komma Fünf. That easy.

[–] remon@ani.social 34 points 1 day ago

You say "comma" instead of "point".

[–] illi@piefed.social 15 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Over here we would say 7 whole 5. As in 7 is the "whole" number and the 5 is a fraction of the next one.

Or at least that's my interpretation of how we say it :D

[–] Mothra@mander.xyz 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] illi@piefed.social 10 points 1 day ago

It's like that in both Czech and Slovak.

[–] rumschlumpel@feddit.org 18 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

A point is a pause, too, yet you say "point" out loud when reading a decimal number.

[–] BlackLaZoR@lemmy.world 3 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago)

In polish you can say: seven comma five, seven and a half, or seven and five tenths, or if you need more precision (for 7,55 for example) there is seven and fifty five hundredths and so on.

[–] neidu3@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)
[–] pmk@piefed.ca 2 points 1 day ago

Sofiero original guld

[–] Lehmuusa@nord.pub 5 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago)

7,5 is read in Finnish as "seitsemän pilkku viisi". 7.5 would be read as "seitsemän piste viisi".

The rule is that if it's in decimal system, you use comma; if in any other system, you use dot. And you read what you write.

[–] uuj8za@piefed.social 5 points 23 hours ago

Yeah, I hear the Spanish say: "Siete coma cinco"

[–] lost_faith@lemmy.ca 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

In french I always heard them say virgule ie: 106,9 = cent six virgule neuf, in english 106.9 = one oh six point nine

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] lost_faith@lemmy.ca 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] Jmdatcs@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

In French. In English a virgule is a forward slash.

[–] lost_faith@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

TIL

This thread is about other languages use of commas and since I am familiar with french (Canadian) that is what I spoke on

[–] Jmdatcs@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Yeah, I don't think that's common knowledge. I never knew it was called that until I got into my profession. And I think it's only called that there because it's been around since before "forward slash" entered the vernacular.

There are probably some similar circumstances, but almost everyone calls it "forward slash."

[–] BananaTrifleViolin@piefed.world 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I wonder if the world will ever standardise to one or the other?

The . for decimal separator is used in English, as well as China and India but apparently that is only 35-40% of the global population. The , is used for 60-65%. Although the figures may not be accurate as a lot of countries seem to use both, with . used for international business, and internationally published science tends to be published in English?

Probably never be standardised as it's probably too difficult to switch now? 1,000,000.00 and 1.000.000,00 are clear because of the use of three 0s for thousands etc, and two 0s for decimals. But 1.001 and 1,001 are much more ambiguous and would definitely need context as to which system is being used - is it 1 thousand and 1 or 1 and one thousandth?

[–] blujan@sopuli.xyz 3 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago)

Add another 1.6% with mexico using . as decimal separator.

Separator Estimated Population % Primary Regions
Decimal Point (.) ~70–75% China, India, USA, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Mexico, Japan, UK, Australia.
Decimal Comma (,) ~20–25% Most of the EU (Germany, France, Italy, Spain), Russia, Brazil, Vietnam, Turkey, and much of South America.
Other / Arabic (٫) ~5% Middle Eastern countries (Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia) using the Momayyez.