Translating numbers, currency, dates and time

4 min readJan 8, 2021

One of my biggest bugbears when proofreading is when numbers, currencies, dates and times are poorly formatted or translated. The rules are relatively simple, yet any errors take me a great deal of time to rectify. Neglecting such details is a sure-fire way of making your writing smack of ‘translationese’ to your readers. Numbers, currency, dates and times can be somewhat misleading in English, because it’s just one area where the spoken language and written language diverge, often causing non-native speakers to confound the two.

Numbers

It should go without saying that for numbers in English, the decimal separator must always be a point and the thousandth separator a comma. Style guides often recommend to write out all numerals under ten as the full word in prose (‘four’ instead of ‘4’), but you may use your own discretion as to when a different use might be more convenient, for example when describing the results of a survey. Conversely, avoid spelling out overly long numbers like ‘thirteen thousand, four hundred and seventeen’, which are a nuisance to read.

The abbreviation for number is ‘no.’ and never ‘n.’ Considering omitting it if it could cause confusion (e.g. with ‘no’ as in the negation). ‘No. of employees’ or ‘number of employees’ is, in my opinion, entirely synonymous with ‘employees’, especially if it is something like the header of a table column.

Units

Numerous style guides prescribe a space between a number and its unit. E.g. 9000 km, 67 kg, 139 km/h, 29 °C, and not 9000km, 67kg, 139km/h and 29°C. Some sources recommend no space, but whatever you do, make sure it is consistent. Personally, I think that in prose a space is mandatory whereas in tables and graphs, or anywhere where room is limited, the space can be omitted. The Office for National Statistics recommends a space for all units, except when the unit is a single letter, such as m (metre), l (litre) or W (watts). There should never be a space, on the other hand, between currency signs and the respective figure, e.g. £12,000 cash ISA and not £ 12,000.

Do not pluralise abbreviations such as 75 kgs. The long form may, however, be pluralised, e.g. 75 kilograms.

Given the relative confusion, you may often see a variety of styles. Whatever style you decide to use, however, make sure it is consistent throughout the document. It’s vital to make sure you succeed on these low-hanging fruits if you want your client to believe in your competence to solve more difficult translation problems.

Currency

The currency sign must always be placed before the number, never after. Do not spell out currencies where a symbol is available, e.g. €26,000 and not 26,000 Euros. The only exception to this is when writing about currencies abstractly or as a whole, such as, “the dollar gained two points against the euro today,” or, “in for a penny, in for a pound.” Currencies are not capitalised, only the relevant adjective before it if necessary: e.g. Australian dollar, Swiss franc. It is not necessary to repeat the currency with abbreviations such as EUR, USD or GBP.

The abbreviation for million and billion are, respectively, m and bn, e.g. €700 bn, 15.4 m. These are typically used in headings and barely every in prose. They may also be capitalised: e.g. 180 BN.

Do not use abbreviations such as thsd and K/k when writing numbers: just use the figures. For example, 100,000 and not 100K. In speech, K may be heard more often.

Dates & Time

As concerning dates, you should consider whether the text is intended for an American audience, where the month comes before the day. In prose, do not write ordinals (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.), even though must still be pronounced. Likewise, do not precede dates with ‘the’, even though this will also (optionally) be pronounced. For example, ’12 March 2019‘, or, “the company’s AGM is scheduled to take place on 3 September.” In American English, a comma between the year and/or weekday can be used: ‘Tuesday, 12 March, 2019’.

When writing dates in numbers, a dot, dash or slash may be used.

Occasionally, in deeds and certificates, the date may be written out fully with the article and ordinal, but that is of course in stark contrast to prose text. Similarly, in legal documents, sometimes very long numbers are written out in full, but never in prose.

In International and British English, the 24-hour clock is greatly preferred in writing. The time 14:00 will, however, still be pronounced using the 12-hour clock, i.e. ‘two o’clock’, ‘two in the afternoon’ or ’two pm’.

Do not use an apostrophe when writing about decades, e.g. the 90s, in the late 1920s.

Ages

When writing about age groups, you can use the formulation ‘aged 14 (years)’. For example, “the percentage of Europeans aged 75 years and over is destined to increase.” Or, “the school provides education for children aged up to 18.”