Mastering German Numbers: A Comprehensive Guide

Learning to count in German is a fundamental step in mastering the language. While the basic numbers from one to twelve might seem straightforward, the structure of larger numbers and the placement of units and tens can be tricky for English speakers. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the ins and outs of German numbers, from the very basics to larger figures and ordinal numbers, providing you with the knowledge and practice you need to confidently count in German.

## Part 1: The Building Blocks – Numbers 1-20

These are the fundamental building blocks for understanding German numbers. Memorizing these is crucial.

* **0 – Null:** Pronounced like “nool.”
* **1 – Eins:** Pronounced like “aints.” Note that in combinations (like 21, 31, etc.), it often becomes “ein” (without the “s”).
* **2 – Zwei:** Pronounced like “tsvai.”
* **3 – Drei:** Pronounced like “dry.”
* **4 – Vier:** Pronounced like “fear.”
* **5 – Fünf:** Pronounced like “funf.” Notice the umlaut (¨) over the “u.”
* **6 – Sechs:** Pronounced like “zeks.”
* **7 – Sieben:** Pronounced like “zee-ben.”
* **8 – Acht:** Pronounced like “ahkt.”
* **9 – Neun:** Pronounced like “noyn.
* **10 – Zehn:** Pronounced like “tsein.”
* **11 – Elf:** Pronounced like “elf.”
* **12 – Zwölf:** Pronounced like “tsvulf.” Notice the umlaut (¨) over the “o.”
* **13 – Dreizehn:** Pronounced like “dry-tsein” (3 + 10).
* **14 – Vierzehn:** Pronounced like “fear-tsein” (4 + 10).
* **15 – Fünfzehn:** Pronounced like “funf-tsein” (5 + 10).
* **16 – Sechzehn:** Pronounced like “zeks-tsein” (6 + 10). Note the slight simplification – the “s” is dropped from “sechs.”
* **17 – Siebzehn:** Pronounced like “zeep-tsein” (7 + 10). The “en” is dropped from “sieben.”
* **18 – Achtzehn:** Pronounced like “ahkt-tsein” (8 + 10).
* **19 – Neunzehn:** Pronounced like “noyn-tsein” (9 + 10).
* **20 – Zwanzig:** Pronounced like “tsvahn-tsih.”

**Key Takeaways for Numbers 1-20:**

* Pay close attention to the pronunciations. German sounds can be different from English.
* Notice how numbers 13-19 are formed by combining the single-digit number with “zehn” (ten).
* Note the irregularities in 16 (Sechzehn) and 17 (Siebzehn).

## Part 2: Building Larger Numbers: 21-99

This is where things get interesting, and often confusing for English speakers. The key is understanding the order of units and tens.

**The Rule:** In German, you say the *unit* first, followed by “und” (and), and then the *ten*.

**Examples:**

* **21 – Einundzwanzig:** (One and twenty) = 1 + and + 20
* **22 – Zweiundzwanzig:** (Two and twenty) = 2 + and + 20
* **23 – Dreiundzwanzig:** (Three and twenty) = 3 + and + 20
* **34 – Vierunddreißig:** (Four and thirty) = 4 + and + 30
* **45 – Fünfundvierzig:** (Five and forty) = 5 + and + 40
* **56 – Sechsundfünfzig:** (Six and fifty) = 6 + and + 50
* **67 – Siebenundsechzig:** (Seven and sixty) = 7 + and + 60
* **78 – Achtundsiebzig:** (Eight and seventy) = 8 + and + 70
* **89 – Neunundachtzig:** (Nine and eighty) = 9 + and + 80

**Let’s break it down further:**

1. **Identify the Unit:** Determine the single-digit number (1-9).
2. **Identify the Ten:** Determine the multiple of ten (20, 30, 40, etc.).
3. **Combine Them:** Say the unit, then “und,” then the ten.

**The Tens (20-90):**

* **20 – Zwanzig:** Pronounced like “tsvahn-tsih.”
* **30 – Dreißig:** Pronounced like “dry-sih.” Notice the ß (Eszett), which is a sharp “s” sound. It can also be written as “ss” if the ß is unavailable.
* **40 – Vierzig:** Pronounced like “fear-tsih.”
* **50 – Fünfzig:** Pronounced like “funf-tsih.”
* **60 – Sechzig:** Pronounced like “zeks-tsih.”
* **70 – Siebzig:** Pronounced like “zeep-tsih.” The “en” is dropped from “sieben.”
* **80 – Achtzig:** Pronounced like “ahkt-tsih.”
* **90 – Neunzig:** Pronounced like “noyn-tsih.”

**Practice Exercises:**

Translate the following numbers into German:

* 32
* 48
* 61
* 75
* 99

(Answers: Zweiunddreißig, Achtundvierzig, Einundsechzig, Fünfundsiebzig, Neunundneunzig)

**Common Mistakes to Avoid:**

* **Forgetting the “und”:** Always include “und” between the unit and the ten.
* **Saying the ten before the unit:** This is the most common mistake for English speakers. Remember the unit comes first.
* **Incorrect pronunciation:** Pay attention to the pronunciation of “ß,” umlauts, and other German sounds.
* **Misspelling the tens:** Double-check the spellings of the tens, especially “Dreißig” and “Zwanzig.”

## Part 3: Hundreds, Thousands, and Beyond

Once you understand the basics, extending your knowledge to larger numbers is relatively straightforward.

**Hundreds:**

* **100 – (Ein)hundert:** Pronounced like “aint-hoon-dert” or simply “hoon-dert.” The “ein” is optional.
* **200 – Zweihundert:** Pronounced like “tsvai-hoon-dert.”
* **300 – Dreihundert:** Pronounced like “dry-hoon-dert.”
* **400 – Vierhundert:** Pronounced like “fear-hoon-dert.”
* **500 – Fünfhundert:** Pronounced like “funf-hoon-dert.”
* **600 – Sechshundert:** Pronounced like “zeks-hoon-dert.”
* **700 – Siebenhundert:** Pronounced like “zee-ben-hoon-dert.”
* **800 – Achthundert:** Pronounced like “ahkt-hoon-dert.”
* **900 – Neunhundert:** Pronounced like “noyn-hoon-dert.”

**Combining Hundreds with Smaller Numbers:**

To combine hundreds with numbers less than 100, simply follow the same pattern as before. The hundred comes first, then the remaining number.

* **121 – Hundert(und)einundzwanzig:** (One hundred and one and twenty) = 100 + and + 1 + and + 20
* **255 – Zweihundert(und)fünfundfünfzig:** (Two hundred and five and fifty) = 200 + and + 5 + and + 50
* **387 – Dreihundert(und)achtundsiebzig:** (Three hundred and eight and seventy) = 300 + and + 8 + and + 70

Note: The “und” between the hundred and the rest of the number is often omitted in spoken German, but it’s generally safer to include it, especially when you’re learning.

**Thousands:**

* **1000 – (Ein)tausend:** Pronounced like “aint-tow-zent” or simply “tow-zent.” The “ein” is optional.
* **2000 – Zweitausend:** Pronounced like “tsvai-tow-zent.”
* **3000 – Dreitausend:** Pronounced like “dry-tow-zent.”

**Combining Thousands with Smaller Numbers:**

The principle remains the same: Combine the thousand with the remaining number. The word “und” is typically *not* used between the thousand and the following hundreds, tens or units.

* **1234 – Eintausendzweihundertvierunddreißig:** (One thousand two hundred four and thirty) = 1000 + 200 + 4 + and + 30
* **5678 – Fünftausendsechshundertachtundsiebzig:** (Five thousand six hundred eight and seventy) = 5000 + 600 + 8 + and + 70

**Larger Numbers:**

* **10,000 – Zehntausend:** (Ten thousand)
* **100,000 – Hunderttausend:** (One hundred thousand)
* **1,000,000 – Eine Million:** (One million)
* **1,000,000,000 – Eine Milliarde:** (One billion)
* **1,000,000,000,000 – Eine Billion:** (One trillion)

**Important Notes for Larger Numbers:**

* German uses a point (.) as a thousands separator and a comma (,) as a decimal separator, which is the opposite of the common convention in English-speaking countries. For example, one thousand five hundred and fifty and a half would be written as 1.550,5 in German.
* For large numbers, Germans often group digits in threes using points for readability, like this: 1.234.567.890.

**Practice Exercises:**

Translate the following numbers into German:

* 456
* 1,892
* 12,345
* 678,901

(Answers: Vierhundertsechsundfünfzig, Eintausendachthundertzweiundneunzig, Zwölftausenddreihundertfünfundvierzig, Sechshundertachtundsiebzigtausendneunhunderteins)

## Part 4: Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal numbers indicate position in a sequence (first, second, third, etc.). In German, they are formed differently than cardinal numbers (one, two, three, etc.).

**Formation:**

* For numbers 1-19 (except for 1 and 3), add “-te” to the cardinal number.
* For numbers 20 and above, add “-ste” to the cardinal number.

**Examples:**

* **1st – Erste:** (Irregular)
* **2nd – Zweite:**
* **3rd – Dritte:** (Irregular)
* **4th – Vierte:**
* **5th – Fünfte:**
* **6th – Sechste:**
* **7th – Siebte:**
* **8th – Achte:**
* **9th – Neunte:**
* **10th – Zehnte:**
* **11th – Elfte:**
* **12th – Zwölfte:**
* **13th – Dreizehnte:**
* **20th – Zwanzigste:**
* **21st – Einundzwanzigste:**
* **100th – Hunderste:**
* **1000th – Tausendste:**

**Important Notes about Ordinal Numbers:**

* Ordinal numbers are adjectives and must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify. This means they will have different endings depending on the context.
* When writing ordinal numbers as numerals, a period (.) is placed after the number (e.g., 1.).

**Examples in Sentences:**

* “Das ist der **erste** Tag.” (This is the first day.)
* “Sie wurde **Zweite** im Rennen.” (She came in second in the race.)
* “Heute ist der **dritte** Januar.” (Today is the third of January.)

**Declension of Ordinal Numbers:**

Like all adjectives in German, ordinal numbers are declined. Here’s a simplified overview:

This table shows the definite article followed by the declined form of “erste” (first). The endings change based on the case and gender of the noun.

**Practice Exercises:**

Translate the following phrases into German using ordinal numbers:

* The fifth floor
* The second world war
* The twentieth century

(Answers: Der fünfte Stock, Der zweite Weltkrieg, Das zwanzigste Jahrhundert)

## Part 5: Special Cases and Tips

* **Telephone Numbers:** In German, telephone numbers are usually read digit by digit, with pauses between groups of digits. For example, 030-1234567 would be read as “Null, drei, null – eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf, sechs, sieben.”
* **Years:** Years are generally read as hundreds. For example, 1985 would be read as “Neunzehnhundertfünfundachtzig” (nineteen hundred five and eighty). However, years after 2000 are often read as normal numbers: 2023 would be “Zweitausenddreiundzwanzig.”
* **Money:** Amounts of money are read with “Euro” after the number. For example, €25.50 would be read as “Fünfundzwanzig Euro fünfzig.”
* **Fractions:** Fractions are formed by adding “-tel” or “-stel” to the ordinal number root. For example, 1/2 is “einhalb,” 1/3 is “ein Drittel,” and 1/4 is “ein Viertel.”

**Tips for Success:**

* **Practice Regularly:** Consistent practice is key to mastering German numbers. Use flashcards, online quizzes, or language learning apps to reinforce your knowledge.
* **Listen to Native Speakers:** Pay attention to how native German speakers pronounce numbers in conversations, radio broadcasts, and other media. Imitate their pronunciation to improve your own.
* **Use Numbers in Everyday Life:** Try counting objects, telling the time, or calculating prices in German to integrate numbers into your daily routine.
* **Don’t Be Afraid to Make Mistakes:** Everyone makes mistakes when learning a new language. Don’t let errors discourage you. Learn from your mistakes and keep practicing.
* **Focus on Pronunciation:** German pronunciation can be tricky, so pay close attention to the sounds of the numbers. Use online resources or a language tutor to help you improve your pronunciation.

## Part 6: Resources for Further Learning

Here are some helpful resources to continue your journey in learning German numbers:

* **Online Language Learning Platforms:** Websites and apps like Duolingo, Babbel, Memrise, and Rosetta Stone offer structured courses and interactive exercises for learning German.
* **German Textbooks and Workbooks:** Traditional textbooks and workbooks provide comprehensive explanations and practice activities for German grammar and vocabulary, including numbers.
* **Online Dictionaries and Translation Tools:** Websites like dict.cc and Google Translate can help you look up the meanings and pronunciations of German numbers.
* **German Language Exchange Partners:** Connecting with native German speakers for language exchange can provide valuable opportunities to practice your number skills in real-life conversations.
* **German Language Podcasts and YouTube Channels:** Listening to German language podcasts and watching YouTube channels can help you improve your listening comprehension and pronunciation of numbers.

## Conclusion

Learning German numbers requires patience and consistent practice. By mastering the building blocks, understanding the structure of larger numbers, and paying attention to pronunciation, you can confidently count in German. Remember to use the resources available to you and don’t be afraid to make mistakes along the way. With dedication and persistence, you’ll be counting like a native speaker in no time! Viel Erfolg! (Good luck!)

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Mastering German Numbers: A Comprehensive Guide

Mastering German Numbers: A Comprehensive Guide