Russian Decimals

[zombie-laika.livejournal.com]

Hi, I have a few questions about expression decimal (that is, non-whole) numbers in Russian. Let me begin with some examples: 0,1 => одна десятая, 0,05 => пять сотых, 2,4 => два и четыре десятых (these examples were taken from Wade). I was told that the fractional part of a number is feminine because it is an abbreviated way of saying часть (одна десятая часть). Is this correct? Also, why is два и четыре десятых correct? Why isn't it четыре десятые (this doesn't seem to follow the pattern четыре красивые кошки)? How would I express 2,2?

Another question: In English it's OK to say 3.14 as "three point one four" (instead of "three and fourteen hundredths). In Russian is there a similar "lazy" way to express decimal numbers? I keep thinking about a Russian student reciting a bunch of digits of pi and then having to go back and find the proper denominator!

Comments

[khathi.livejournal.com]

Yes, this is correct. "Два и четыре десятых" is an abbreviation of "Два и четыре десятых части". You couldn't say "два и четыре десятые", because it would be an accusative case of number, and not the correct genitive one. 2.2 should read as "два и две десятых".
Lazy way of saying decimals would be just "<целое> и <дробное>", and　"и" is even sometimes omitted. Fractional part is ofter read as any long number in colloquial Russian, in groups of twos ot threes. For example 3.1415926 would be "три и четырнадцать пятнадцать девяность два и шесть", and "7342,345" would read as "семь триста сорок два и триста сорок пять".

[oryx_and_crake]

Just one small correction - I would say Две целых четыре десятых (i.e. the first number is also in feminine).

[khathi.livejournal.com]

IIRC, there are two possible ways, or am I wrong?

[oryx_and_crake]

I don't know, but I have a degree in mathematics and we always said it in feminine.

[khathi.livejournal.com]

Well, I have a degree in physics, and we use the way we like it. ;)

[moon-aka-sun.livejournal.com]

+1

[alon_68]

Re. question two: no, there is no option in Russian to say something like "three point one four". Nobody requires to spell sequences of 20-30 digits like in "pi" in grammatically correct way, but up to 6 digits it's absolutely possible to find quickly the proper denominator.

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

First of all, 3.14 in Russian goes as 3,14 (at least this was the standard some 20 years ago; I understand that it drifts with the coming of personal computers where dot is the standard, not comma.). Then, it's три целых четырнадцать сотых. Nothing prevents you from saying "три четырнадцать", but most likely you won't be understood. "Три четырнадцать" applies to three roubles and fourteen copecks, or three euros and fourteen cents, etc, though :)

[ilia-yasny.livejournal.com]

However, when asked "how much is e?", you could easily reply "два семсот восемнадцать". We can also omit everything but the numbers, when you enumerate a large array of numbers. We also say "тридцать шесть и семь", "тридцать восемь и восемь" speaking about the body temperature.

I mean, each time it's evident that we speak about numbers, we can omit "целые" и "десятые".

[breqwas.livejournal.com]

Well, in fact students and others who work with numbers a lot sometimes say smth like "три и четырнадцать" for 3.14 or "восемнадцать и два" for 18.2

[alon_68]

But it's strongly colloquial way. And even here, they pronounce the decimal part of the number as a single number, not as sequence of digits - something like "three and fourteen", not "three point one four"

[breqwas.livejournal.com]

+1

Oooh! Physics v. Math in Russia!

[stpetersburg.livejournal.com]

There's occasionally a rivalry between American physicists and mathematicians. Does the same thing exist in Russia?

[arvi.livejournal.com]

0,1 => одна десятая
0,05 => пять сотых
2,4 => две целых, четыре десятых
3,14 => три целых, четырнадцать сотых (or just три четырнадцать)

Re: Oooh! Physics v. Math in Russia!

[khathi.livejournal.com]

On the university level, especially between departments -- as much as you can stomach. Mostly jokingly, of course, and it depends on univesity pretty much, but I believe its universal. ^_^

Re: Oooh! Physics v. Math in Russia!

[oryx_and_crake]

I don't have anything against physics; some of my best friends are in physics...
;-)