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Spanish to English translations [PRO] Science - Mathematics & Statistics / MULTIPLICATION
Spanish term or phrase:TENS, HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS
Estoy con dificultades en cuanto al uso de estos términos como traducción de decena, centena, unidad de mil.
En español tenemos plural y singular: decena/decenas, pero en inglés tengo dudas, debo usar la forma plural para ambas?
Espero puedan ayudarme ya que lo que encuentro es ambiguo y me confunde más que cualquier otra cosa.
Explanation: You can't always translate "centena" as the plural version, for example "más de una centena de países" would be "more than a hundred countries". But this wouldn't work for "decena" becuase ten wouldn't take the article. If you are looking for a blanket rule, I don't think there is one.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 29 mins (2006-02-01 16:23:40 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
For the numbers it is always singular e.g. five hundred, sixteen thousand, ten
Talking about units, something can be measured/counted "in tens", "in hundreds", "in thousands" or "in units of ten", "in units of a hundred", "in units of a thousand"
In speech, it will usually follow the Spanish although "decenas" is tricky and figuratively we would be more likely to opt for "dozens".
Perhaps a couple of examples of both singular and plural would help clarify more. - Hope this helps!!
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 35 mins (2006-02-01 16:29:47 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
No hay de que. Me alegro haber podido ayudarte. Suerte ;-)
Explanation: You can't always translate "centena" as the plural version, for example "más de una centena de países" would be "more than a hundred countries". But this wouldn't work for "decena" becuase ten wouldn't take the article. If you are looking for a blanket rule, I don't think there is one.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 29 mins (2006-02-01 16:23:40 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
For the numbers it is always singular e.g. five hundred, sixteen thousand, ten
Talking about units, something can be measured/counted "in tens", "in hundreds", "in thousands" or "in units of ten", "in units of a hundred", "in units of a thousand"
In speech, it will usually follow the Spanish although "decenas" is tricky and figuratively we would be more likely to opt for "dozens".
Perhaps a couple of examples of both singular and plural would help clarify more. - Hope this helps!!
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 35 mins (2006-02-01 16:29:47 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
No hay de que. Me alegro haber podido ayudarte. Suerte ;-)
Helen Provart Local time: 03:13 Meets criteria Works in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 4
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +1
peer agreement (net): +1
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