Multi-digit numbers follow the place-value rule, which allows us to write down as many numbers as we want with only the ten symbols we already know. We use these ten symbols to write down single-digit numbers and we combine them when we write down multi-digit numbers. The Hindu-Arabic numeral system uses exactly ten symbols that you are probably familiar with: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 0. Most countries use the so-called Hindu-Arabic numeral system to write down numbers. 7 × 8 equals 56, both in the United States of America and in Germany 2. This is also true for calculations: 2 + 2 equals 4, both in France and in China. Numbers and Maths Are Pretty Universalĭoing basic maths 1 seems to be a pretty common thing-you do it, I do it, even very young children do it before they go to school, for instance, when they count marbles. We also show how the way multi-digit number words are built can make learning maths and dealing with large numbers easier or more difficult. In this article, we will give examples of what number words in different languages look like. Although most of us use the same symbols to write down numbers (1, 2, 3, 4, …), we use very different words for these numbers simply because we speak different languages. 7 × 8 equals 56, both in the United States of America and in Germany. 2 + 2 equals 4, both in France and in China. Doing basic maths seems to be a pretty common thing.