{"id":2507,"date":"2018-08-08T18:12:46","date_gmt":"2018-08-08T18:12:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clozemaster.com\/blog\/?p=2507"},"modified":"2023-03-22T10:49:57","modified_gmt":"2023-03-22T10:49:57","slug":"german-numbers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clozemaster.com\/blog\/german-numbers\/","title":{"rendered":"German Numbers in a Nutshell"},"content":{"rendered":"

German numbers are an important part of the German language. They help us communicate in a number of situations, such as ordering drinks or food at a restaurant or determining when to meet up with your friends. They can even come in handy when solving simple math problems during your travels through the land of Autobahn<\/em> and Apfelschorle<\/em> (just think of calculating your travel expenses!)<\/p>\n

When approached in the right way, German numbers are pretty easy to wrap one’s head around. Let me show you!<\/p>\n

\"Count<\/p>\n

Basic German numbers: 1-10 (cardinal numbers)<\/h2>\n

This is probably the easiest part, which is why we’re starting with this category. You might already be familiar with a couple of expressions, such as \u201clinks, zwei, drei, vier<\/em>\u201d, which is a military command that helps soldiers march in unison (meaning nothing else but \u201cleft, two, three, four\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
eins<\/td>\none<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
zwei<\/td>\ntwo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
drei<\/td>\nthree<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
vier<\/td>\nfour<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
f\u00fcnf<\/td>\nfive<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
sechs<\/td>\nsix<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
sieben<\/td>\nseven<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
acht<\/td>\neight<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
neun<\/td>\nnine<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
zehn<\/td>\nten<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The German numbers shown in the table above are all cardinal numbers<\/strong>, which means they indicate a certain quantity (such as \u201cthree cats\u201d).<\/p>\n

Here are a few examples:<\/p>\n

Examples<\/strong>:<\/span><\/p>\n

Sie hat drei<\/strong> Katzen. (She has three<\/strong> cats.<\/em>)<\/p>\n

Ich habe vier<\/strong> Anrufe in Abwesenheit erhalten. (I have received four<\/strong> missed calls.<\/em>)<\/p>\n

Wir haben zwei<\/strong> Apfelb\u00e4ume in unserem Garten. (We have two<\/strong> apple trees in our garden.<\/em>)<\/p>\n

Er hat mit f\u00fcnf<\/strong> lesen gelernt. (He learned to read at the age of\u00a0five<\/strong>.<\/em>)
\n[When indicating age in a sentence, you don\u2019t have to necessarily add the word \u201cJahre\u201d (years)\u2014you can simply state the number alone. You\u2019ll still be easily understood.]<\/p>\n

Es ist ein<\/strong> Uhr in der Nacht.\u00a0(It\u2019s one<\/strong> o\u2019clock at night.<\/em>)<\/p>\n

So cardinal numbers can be used to indicate a quantity or a price, but also to state the time (as shown in the last example).<\/p>\n

Of course, there are more German numbers than just the ones listed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
elf<\/td>\neleven<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
zw\u00f6lf<\/td>\ntwelve<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
dreizehn<\/strong><\/td>\nthirteen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
vierzehn<\/strong><\/td>\nfourteen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
f\u00fcnfzehn<\/strong><\/td>\nfifteen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
sechzehn<\/strong><\/td>\nsixteen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
siebzehn<\/strong><\/td>\nseventeen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
achtzehn<\/strong><\/td>\neighteen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
neunzehn<\/strong><\/td>\nnineteen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
zwanzig<\/td>\ntwenty<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Similarly to the English language, German numbers between eleven and nineteen are also \u201csplit up\u201d, counting the base number first and then adding\u00a0zehn<\/strong> (\u201cten\u201d)\u00a0to it.<\/p>\n

vier<\/span>zehn<\/strong>\u00a0=\u00a0<\/strong>four<\/span>teen
\n<\/strong>neun<\/strong><\/span>zehn =<\/strong>\u00a0nine<\/strong><\/span>teen<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2026 and so on (see the table above).<\/p>\n

Before we jump into the trickier part (this is<\/em> German, after all \u2026), let\u2019s look at some examples first!<\/p>\n

Examples<\/strong>:<\/span><\/p>\n

Sie hat mit neunzehn <\/strong>Jahren geheiratet. (She got married at the age of\u00a0nineteen<\/strong>.<\/em>)<\/p>\n

Ich habe noch zw\u00f6lf<\/strong> Euro \u00fcbrig. (I still have twelve<\/strong>\u00a0euros left.<\/em>)<\/p>\n

Ich habe es zwanzig<\/strong> Mal wiederholt. (I repeated it twenty<\/strong> times.<\/em>)<\/p>\n

German numbers: 20 – 100<\/h2>\n

You were probably wondering when the tricky part was going to start. The not-so-good news is that we\u2019ve now reached said part. The good news is that it is easier than you might think. Let\u2019s have a closer look at German numbers starting at twenty.<\/p>\n

As mentioned above, German numbers from eleven to nineteen are \u201csplit up\u201d, counting the base number first. A similar thing happens with most numbers starting at twenty. There is, however, a minuscule difference:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
einund<\/strong>zwanzig<\/td>\ntwenty-one<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
zweiund<\/strong>zwanzig<\/td>\ntwenty-two<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
dreiund<\/strong>zwanzig<\/td>\ntwenty-three<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
vierund<\/strong>zwanzig<\/td>\ntwenty-four<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
f\u00fcnfund<\/strong>zwanzig<\/td>\ntwenty-five<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
sechsund<\/strong>zwanzig<\/td>\ntwenty-six<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
siebenund<\/strong>zwanzig<\/td>\ntwenty-seven<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
achtund<\/strong>zwanzig<\/td>\ntwenty-eight<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
neunund<\/strong>zwanzig<\/td>\ntwenty-nine<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
drei\u00dfig<\/td>\nthirty<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

As you can see in the table above, as soon as you get to the twenty-something range of German cardinal numbers, \u201cund\u201d (and<\/em>) is added in between the base number and the number of tens.<\/p>\n

In German, you basically \u201ccount\u201d the amount stated:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • ein-und<\/strong><\/span>-zwanzig (one-and<\/strong>-twenty<\/em>) = twenty-one<\/li>\n
  • sieben-und<\/strong><\/span>-zwanzig (seven-and<\/strong>-twenty<\/em>) = twenty-seven<\/li>\n
  • vier-und<\/strong><\/span>-zwanzig (four-and<\/strong>-twenty<\/em>) = twenty-four<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    This way of counting (with the word \u201cand\u201d between the two components of the number) probably sounds very strange for someone who\u2019s not a native German speaker. But I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll get the hang of it pretty quickly!<\/p>\n

    Also, the word \u201cdrei\u00dfig\u201d is spelled with the magical letter \u201c\u00df<\/strong>\u201d (pronounced \u201cEszet\u201d), which basically sounds like a softer \u201cS\u201d.<\/p>\n

    The good news is that most German cardinal numbers are pretty much built in the exact same way:<\/p>\n

    Base number<\/em> + und<\/strong><\/span> + number of tens<\/i><\/p>\n

    Specifically, this means that regardless of whether you take the German words for\u00a0fifty-one<\/strong> or thirty-seven<\/strong>, they will both follow the formula above.<\/p>\n

      \n
    • einund<\/strong><\/span>f\u00fcnfzig = fifty-one<\/li>\n
    • siebenund<\/strong><\/span>drei\u00dfig = thirty-seven<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Round numbers, such as twenty, thirty or fifty don\u2019t follow this formula. Instead, they are simply made up of one word, often ending in -zig<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
      zwanzig<\/strong><\/td>\ntwenty<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      drei\u00dfig<\/td>\nthirty<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      vierzig<\/strong><\/td>\nforty<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      f\u00fcnfzig<\/strong><\/td>\nfifty<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      sechzig<\/strong><\/td>\nsixty<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      siebzig<\/strong><\/td>\nseventy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      achtzig<\/strong><\/td>\neighty<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      neunzig<\/strong><\/td>\nninety<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      einhundert<\/td>\none hundred<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

      Instead of saying \u201ceinhundert\u201d, you can also informally just say \u201chundert\u201d, which is more common in everyday German.<\/p>\n

      Examples: <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Ich habe hundert<\/strong> Euro von meiner Oma bekommen. (I received one hundred<\/strong> euros from my grandma.<\/em>)
      \n[Again, you could also say einhundert Euro<\/em>, but it\u2019s more common to just use the abbreviated form.]<\/p>\n

      Meine Nachbarin ist gestern achtzig<\/strong> Jahre alt geworden. (My neighbor turned eighty<\/strong> years old yesterday.<\/em>)
      \n[You could also say Meine Nachbarin ist gestern achtzig geworden<\/em>.]<\/p>\n

      Er ist drei\u00dfig<\/strong> Jahre alt. (He is thirty<\/strong> years old.<\/em>)<\/p>\n

      Das Brot kostet drei<\/strong> Euro siebzig<\/strong>. (The bread is three<\/strong>\u00a0euros and seventy<\/strong> cents.<\/em>)<\/p>\n

      Kann ich mir sechzig<\/strong> Dollar von dir leihen? (Can I borrow sixty<\/strong> dollars from you?<\/em>)<\/p>\n

      Large numbers in German (100+)<\/h2>\n

      Now that I gave you the lowdown on the most important German cardinal numbers (and how they\u2019re \u201cbuilt\u201d), here are a few large numbers that might come in handy for day-to-day use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
      einhundert<\/td>\none hundred<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      zweihundert<\/td>\ntwo hundred<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      dreihundert<\/td>\nthree hundred<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      vierhundert<\/td>\nfour hundred<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      f\u00fcnfhundert<\/td>\nfive hundred<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      sechshundert<\/td>\nsix hundred<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      siebenhundert<\/td>\nseven hundred<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      achthundert<\/td>\neight hundred<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      neunhundert<\/td>\nnine hundred<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      eintausend<\/td>\none thousand<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      eine Million<\/span><\/td>\none million<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      eine Milliarde<\/span><\/td>\none billion<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

      Just like with the German number for one hundred, it is possible to shorten the word for one thousand. So instead of saying \u201ceintausend\u201d, you can simply say \u201ctausend<\/strong>\u201d. This is generally more common in spoken language.<\/p>\n

      So far I\u2019ve only touched on round numbers in the range from one hundred to one billion. But what if you need to state a number like\u00a0eight hundred thirty-five <\/em>in German?<\/p>\n

      Just like before, the word \u201cund<\/strong>\u201d is added\u2014and often more than just once.<\/p>\n

      Let me show you!<\/p>\n

      Imagine you\u2019re trying to explain to someone in German how much is your rent. Your monthly rent is eight hundred thirty-five dollars. In German, you would say:<\/p>\n

      Ich zahle achthundert und<\/span> f\u00fcnfund<\/span>drei\u00dfig<\/strong> Dollar Miete im Monat. (I pay eight hundred thirty-five dollars in rent per month.<\/em>)<\/p>\n

      All larger German numbers are \u201cassembled\u201d according to this recipe:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • siebenhundert und <\/strong><\/span>neunund<\/strong><\/span>achtzig = seven hundred eighty-nine<\/li>\n
      • sechshundert und<\/strong><\/span> dreiund<\/strong><\/span>f\u00fcnfzig = six hundred fifty-three<\/li>\n
      • dreihundert und<\/strong><\/span> dreiund<\/strong><\/span>zwanzig = three hundred twenty-five<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Examples:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

        Du hast ein paar Schuhe f\u00fcr vierhundert und<\/span> f\u00fcnfund<\/span>achtzig<\/strong> Dollar gekauft? (You bought a pair of shoes for four hundred eighty-five<\/strong> dollars?<\/em>)
        \n[\u2026Uh-oh<\/em>.]<\/p>\n

        Das Sofa kostet nur zweihundert und<\/span> f\u00fcnfund<\/span>zwanzig<\/strong> Euro. (The couch is only two hundred twenty-five<\/strong> euros.<\/em>)<\/p>\n

        Bebenhausen hat nur dreihundert und<\/span> einund<\/span>vierzig<\/strong> Einwohner. (Bebenhausen has only three<\/strong> hundred forty-one<\/strong> inhabitants.<\/em>)<\/p>\n

        Ich habe es hundertf\u00fcnfzig<\/strong> Mal gesagt! (I\u2019ve said it a<\/strong> hundred fifty<\/strong> times!<\/em>)
        \n[This is a very common and informal expression in German, usually used to say that you\u2019ve been talking until you were blue in the face. In this case, instead of saying \u201chundert und f\u00fcnfzig\u201d, you can simply leave out the \u201cund\u201d. This, however, cannot be applied to just any German number.]<\/p>\n

        Die Geschichten aus Tausendund<\/span>einer<\/strong> Nacht (The stories of One Thousand and One<\/strong> Nights<\/em>)<\/p>\n