How to talk about math terms in English

Math might be a universal language, but saying it out loud in English can still feel tricky if you don't know the words. The good news is that you only need a handful of them. Here's how to talk about everyday math, from adding up a bill to splitting a pizza.

Addition and subtraction

Just like in German, English uses "plus" for addition and "minus" for subtraction. When you say the answer, you can use "equals," "is," or "makes." "Equals" sounds more like a math class, while "is" and "makes" are what you'll hear in everyday conversation.

• Two plus three is five.
• It's 50 dollars, minus the 10-dollar coupon, so 40 in total.
• There are six of us, plus three more coming later. That makes nine.

Multiplication and division

For multiplication, we usually say "times." "Multiplied by" is correct too, but it's more formal. For division, it's "divided by."

• Four times three is twelve.
• Five multiplied by two equals ten.
• Twenty divided by five is four.

In real life, you'll often hear "split" instead, especially when it comes to money.

• The bill was 90 euros, so split three ways, that's 30 each.

Fractions

For most fractions, English uses ordinal numbers, just like German does: one third, two fifths, three tenths. Halves and quarters have their own words.

• I ate half the pizza.
• Can you cut the cake into quarters?
• About a third of the class was off sick.
• Three quarters of the work is done.

In a math class, you might also hear "over," as in "x over two." In everyday conversation, though, people almost always say "one half" or "a quarter."

Decimals

This is where German speakers often trip up. In German, you write a decimal with a comma, like 3,5. In English, it's a point: 3.5, said "three point five." Each number after the point is read one by one, so 2.75 is "two point seven five." English also uses commas to separate thousands, so 1,500 means fifteen hundred, not one and a half.

• The baby weighed three point two kilos.
• Prices went up by two point five percent.

So, whether you're splitting the bill, following a recipe, or planning a trip, these expressions will help you take the guesswork out of the equation.

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