How do you say 2666 in Spanish?
January 5, 2009 9:53 PM   Subscribe

How do you say 2666 in Spanish?

I assume you say "twenty-six sixty-six" in English. What about Spanish?
"Veintiséis sesenta y séis"? "dos mil seisciento sesenta y seis"?

Help me out!
posted by Bizurke to Writing & Language (12 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Dos mil seis cientos sesenta y seis.
posted by mochapickle at 10:04 PM on January 5, 2009


Well, of course, "dos mil seiscientos sesenta y seis" (note that it's seiscientos, not seisciento) wouldn't be wrong. But it will take someone else to tell you what people usually say in informal situations, which is what you seem to really be asking.
posted by musicinmybrain at 10:06 PM on January 5, 2009


Response by poster: Thanks, MIMB. I think I asked this question very poorly. I want to know what Spanish speakers call the Bolaño novel .
posted by Bizurke at 10:11 PM on January 5, 2009


Context for this usage would be helpful. Even in English the year 2666 is pronounced differently than that many apples.
posted by iamkimiam at 10:13 PM on January 5, 2009


The (native) Spanish speaker beside me confirms that "Dos mil seiscientos sesenta y seis" is exactly right, but if you wish to sound cool or casual, "dos seis seis seis" (two six six six) or better "Dos triple seis" (two triple six) is common shorthand too.

All of those work for the year or an arbitrary number.
posted by rokusan at 10:13 PM on January 5, 2009


Best answer: Additional info: yes, the book title too. "Dos mil seiscientos sesenta y seis."
posted by rokusan at 10:14 PM on January 5, 2009


Confirmation from the New York Public Library. Great novel.
posted by Holly at 4:43 AM on January 6, 2009


The translator of the book, Natasha Wimmer, has been asked this question:

Jeremy: Do you have any indication whether he preferred the book's title to be pronounced "Twenty-six sixty-six" or "Two thousand six hundred sixty-six"?

Wimmer: I have no idea. In Spanish, when you say a phone number, for example, it'd be "twenty-six sixty-six," not "two six six six."
posted by mattbucher at 8:51 AM on January 6, 2009


most of us WILL say "Dos mil seiscientos y sesentaseis"....really all the other stuff sounds OFF
posted by The1andonly at 9:13 AM on January 6, 2009


In Spanish videos on Youtube they refer to it as dos mil seiscientos sesenta y seis.
posted by JJ86 at 9:22 AM on January 6, 2009


[dos mil seiscientos sesenta y seis] excellent book.
posted by mateuslee at 11:25 AM on January 6, 2009


Best answer: Native Chilean speaker here. The book is referred to as "Dos mil seiscientos sesenta y seis" by my Bolaño loving, literature degreed wife.
We spell out phone numbers, not years. Also, if you were going to spell it out, you'd probably speak each individual digit "dos seis seis seis", not "veintiseis sesenta y seis".
posted by signal at 12:53 PM on January 6, 2009 [1 favorite]


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