I am trying to make a reservation in Greece over the internet but I am getting confused about a price. It tells me the price is €54,00. The comma is what is confusing me. Does that really mean 54 Euro.

Yes, Europeans use the comma where we use the decimal point.

Yes, Europeans often use commas where we use decimal points.

Where we use decimal points, Europeans use commas.

Europeans use the comma whereas the U.S. uses the decimal point.

Now that we've solved that mystery, I thought you might like to know that the European numeral 1 looks much like the U.S. numeral 7 when written; ergo, Europeans put a dash mark (-) across the 7 to distinguish it from the 1. It could be confusing to first-time travelers.

Hi B,

I have been using the European 7 (with slash) my entire life (almost). It does prevent mistaking a 1 for a 7.

Last year, our local, small-town bank installed a computer imaging system to read checks.

They asked me to stop using the "strange seven symbol".

I told them that at my age, there was no way I could remember to make a 7 without a slash.

It took 6 weeks for the computer wizards to program the machine to recognize the slashed 7.

The so-called "slashed seven" has been used in scientific notation for decades to help distinguish it from the number one. Why this would take so long to "program" into a computer system is mystifying..perhaps if your name were Laura Bush things would ahve moved faster.

It's a question of the chicken and the egg, but if I'm not mistaken, it is Americans who substituted the universal/worldwide use of decimal coma with the decimal point. We just have to be different than the rest of the world. Not sure about the commonwealth countries, anyone ?

Whilst continental Europeans use the comma to denote the decimal place, the British and Irish use a point.

In the UK it is fast becoming out-moded to use commas to denote thousands as was common in previous generations - but they still appear from time to time - don't get them confused with continental decimal markers!

Thus:-

£12,507.99 - trad. British.
£12507.99 - modern British.
€12507,99 - continental european.

I don't think this is going to be an issue which unduly troubles you during your holiday!

Dr D.

We use decimals in Canada, too.

Anselm

Decimals were indicated by a point when John Napier first invented them.

As far as I'm aware, the English adopted Napier's original suggestion, and the British Isles have been consistent in this pretty much ever since. The Continent decided to cut itself off from us, though most of our former colonies didn't.

I think South Africa followed the Continent at one point, and South Asia has its own way of separating noughts into lakhs and crores tather than thousands.

Incidentally, "Europeans" don't use a slashed 7 any more than "Europeans" use a decimal comma. Like the thousand-marking point, these are all Continental affectations.

Australians and New Zealanders also use the decimal point. One usage that does often throw me is the American date format (month/day rather than day/month). I use a slashed seven most of the time and out of habit I sometimes put a diagonal slash across a zero to distinguish it from the letter 'o'.

Actually, Ira, if you use the "crossed" seven, as I do, you are following a very old biblical tradition.

Seems that when Moses came down from the Mount, he was explaining the Commandments to the multitudes. When he came to NUMBER SEVEN, "THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY!". The multitudes shouted, "Cross it off! Cross it off!

LOL nukesafe!!! I have always put a slash through the seven..so far my bank hasn't complained Ira.

The comment by Neil.. day/month/year is certainly used in Italy, do not know about the rest of Europe so do be aware of that possibility trpchick.

Molvanians use an blood sausage instead of either a comma or decimal point.

Only the rich ones. Ordinary people use a piece of donkey-do.

There are no rich Molvanians. At least, not in Molvania.

Hey trpchick, if you're still here and trying to make a hotel reservation (in Molvania or elsewhere) you might also want to know that Europeans put the month first, then the day, then the year when writing dates.

Could make a difference in your plans (maybe not as much as that decimal point issue, but possibly).

Happy travels!

Breeep! Breeep! Bad advice alert!

Europeans often write dates as DAY, then MONTH, then YEAR!

My baa-aaaa-ad. So sorry.

I believe that everyone (or almost everyone) except Americans writes the date in D-M-Y order. And everyone (or almost everyone) uses metric measurements.