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[–] 41 points 11 months ago (10 children)

To be fair, it's not like we were saying "one thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine"

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  • [–] 11 points 11 months ago (4 children)

    Google translate gives me "Dix-neuf quatre-vingt-dix-neuf" for nineteen ninety nine.

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  • [–] 3 points 11 months ago (3 children)

    Isn’t generally common to have two digit hundred numbers if they are more convenient / shorter to say than with thousand?

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  • [–] 4 points 11 months ago (1 child)

    In America, yes. In the UK, no (although it is getting more common with younger people I find)

    I heard a theory that it's because Americans have $100 bills, whereas the UK only goes up to £50. So counting up in hundreds is more natural in America

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  • [–] 2 points 11 months ago

    I’ve heard in German, though we also have bills >100€. But I don’t think that’s the reason for it. Fifteen hundred is a lot shorter to say than one thousand five hundred and it’s roughly the same length in German. I think I’ve only heard it for numbers <2000 and with the last two digits being 0.

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  • [–] 14 points 11 months ago (3 children)
  • [+] 15 points 11 months ago (2 children)
  • [–] 13 points 11 months ago

    I was born in the nineties and just moved to France. It's a real struggle.

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  • [–] 8 points 11 months ago

    Dix neuf

    Haha gottem

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  • [–] 6 points 11 months ago (2 children)

    Of all the things the French tried to "fix" during the revolution, it amazes me that they didn't try to simplify the way they say large numbers. Or if they did, that it didn't stick.

    I am trying to learn French, and haven't got into large numbers yet, but I know about this, and I am dreading it.

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    [–] 5 points 11 months ago

    Oh my god, this gave me flashbacks to French class in the 90s.

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  • [–] 4 points 11 months ago

    Nixie agrees. She's a bit sadistic.

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