Annum for Dummies

Annum is a fancy term used to refer to the concept of a year. You know, that unit of time that tells us how long it takes for the Earth to make one full trip around the Sun? Yup, that's a year, and that's what we mean by "annum." But let's dive a bit deeper and explore all the different ways we can use this word.

So, imagine the Earth is like a big ball rolling in a giant circle around the Sun. As it rolls, imagine that it keeps track of its progress by counting each full loop it completes. Well, that count is what we call "annum" or a year. It's like a checkpoint that tells us how much time has passed since the last time we were in the same spot in our journey around the Sun.

Oh, and here's a fun fact: Did you know that it actually takes around 365.25 days for the Earth to complete that full loop? Yeah, it's a bit more than 365 days, so every four years, we add an extra day in February to make up for it. That's why we have a leap year!

Now, let's talk about another way "annum" can be used. Have you ever heard people say things like "per annum" or "salary per annum"? Well, when folks use "annum" in that way, they're talking about a certain value or amount of something over one whole year. It's kind of like looking at things on a yearly basis instead of just one single moment. So, you could say that a salary of $50,000 per annum means that someone earns $50,000 over the course of a year.

To sum it all up, "annum" simply means a year or the time it takes for the Earth to make a full trip around the Sun. It can also be used to talk about values or amounts per year, like a salary or interest rate. So, whether you're counting how many years you've been alive or discussing something that happens over a period of time, "annum" is here to help you express those thoughts.