Common Arithmetic Operations in English: A Comprehensive Guide

In the world of mathematics, understanding the basics of arithmetic operations is crucial. Whether you're a student learning the ropes or someone who needs a quick refresher, knowing how to express these operations in English is essential. This guide will delve into the English translations for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, providing clear explanations and examples for each.

1. Addition To Add

The English term for addition is "to add." It refers to the process of combining two or more numbers to get a sum. For example, if you want to add the numbers 5 and 3, you would say, "Three plus five equals eight." The phrase "plus" is often used to denote addition.

2. Subtraction To Subtract

Subtraction is the English term for "to subtract." It involves taking away a number from another to find the difference. For instance, if you subtract 3 from 5, you would express it as "Five minus three equals two." The word "minus" is commonly used to indicate subtraction.

3. Multiplication To Multiply

Multiplication, in English, is referred to as "to multiply." This operation combines numbers to find a product. For example, if you multiply 4 by 6, you would say, "Four times six equals twenty-four." The word "times" is frequently used to represent multiplication.

4. Division To Divide

Division is the English term for "to divide." It is the process of splitting a number into equal parts. For example, if you divide 20 by 4, you would express it as "Twenty divided by four equals five." The phrase "divided by" is used to denote division.

5. Expressing Fractions

When dealing with fractions, the English expression for "to be a fraction of" is used. For example, if you have one-third of a cake, you would say, "This is one-third of the cake." The word "of" is integral in expressing fractions in English.

6. Squaring a Number

To square a number in English, you would say "to square" followed by the number. For instance, if you want to square 5, you would say, "Five squared equals twenty-five." The word "squared" is used to indicate that a number is being multiplied by itself.

7. Cubing a Number

Cubing a number is expressed in English as "to cube" the number. For example, if you cube 3, you would say, "Three cubed equals twenty-seven." The term "cubed" indicates that the number is being multiplied by itself three times.

8. Using the Decimal Point

In English, the decimal point is referred to as "point." For example, the number 3.14 is read as "three point fourteen." When writing numbers, the decimal point is used to separate the whole number from the fractional part.

9. Using the Comma for Large Numbers

For large numbers, the English convention is to use a comma to separate every three digits. For example, the number 1,000,000 is written as "one million." This helps in reading and understanding large numerical values more easily.

10. Using Percentages

Percentages in English are expressed with the word "percent." For example, 50% is read as "fifty percent." When using percentages, it's common to write the number followed by the percent sign (%). For instance, "twenty percent" is written as "20%."