Numbers are a fundamental part of any language, and they play a crucial role in everyday life. Whether you’re shopping, telling time, giving your age, or discussing quantities, understanding numbers is essential. In the German language, numbers are relatively straightforward to learn once you grasp the basics. Let’s explore cardinal numbers, ordinal numbers, fractions, and decimals in German.
Cardinal Numbers in German
1. Eins – One
2. Zwei – Two
3. Drei – Three
4. Vier – Four
5. Fünf – Five
6. Sechs – Six
7. Sieben – Seven
8. Acht – Eight
9. Neun – Nine
10. Zehn – Ten
Numbers from 11 to 19 have a unique form in German. They are formed by adding the suffix “-zehn” to the units place (e.g., “zwei” + “-zehn” = “zwölf” for twelve).
11. Elf – Eleven
12. Zwölf – Twelve
13. Dreizehn – Thirteen
14. Vierzehn – Fourteen
15. Fünfzehn – Fifteen
16. Sechzehn – Sixteen
17. Siebzehn – Seventeen
18. Achtzehn – Eighteen
19. Neunzehn – Nineteen
For 20 and beyond, German numbers are constructed similarly to English:
20. Zwanzig – Twenty
21. Einundzwanzig – Twenty-one (literally “one and twenty”)
22. Zweiundzwanzig – Twenty-two (literally “two and twenty”)
30. Dreißig – Thirty
40. Vierzig – Forty
50. Fünfzig – Fifty
60. Sechzig – Sixty
70. Siebzig – Seventy
80. Achtzig – Eighty
90. Neunzig – Ninety
For hundreds, German uses “hundert”:
100. Hundert – One hundred
200. Zweihundert – Two hundred
300. Dreihundert – Three hundred
400. Vierhundert – Four hundred
500. Fünfhundert – Five hundred
600. Sechshundert – Six hundred
700. Siebenhundert – Seven hundred
800. Achthundert – Eight hundred
900.Neunhundert – Nine hundred
When counting from 101 to 199, use “hundert” followed by the regular numbers:
101. Hundert eins – One hundred and one
115. Hundert fünfzehn – One hundred and fifteen
For thousands and beyond, German uses “tausend” for a thousand, “Million” for a million, and so on:
1,000. Tausend – One thousand
1,000,000. Eine Million – One million
Ordinal Numbers in German
Ordinal numbers in German are quite similar to cardinal numbers. You typically add the suffix “-te” to the cardinal number:
1st – Erster (masculine) / Erste (feminine)
2nd – Zweiter
3rd – Dritter
4th – Vierter
5th – Fünfter
6th – Sechster
7th – Siebter
8th – Achter
9th – Neunter
10th – Zehnter
Fractions in German
To express fractions in German, you use the cardinal number followed by “über” (over) and then the denominator:
1/2 – Einhalb oder eine Hälfte
1/3 – Ein Drittel
2/3 – Zwei Drittel
1/4 – Ein Viertel
3/4 – Drei Viertel
Decimals in German
In German, decimals are indicated by a comma (,). For example, 2.5 is “zwei Komma fünf.”
Now that you have a foundation for understanding and using numbers in German, practice will help you become more comfortable with them.