German Numbers: How to Count From 1 to 100
German numbers are an essential part of everyday language, whether you’re talking about your age, specifying dates, sharing phone numbers, or discussing prices while shopping. In this guide, we’ll take you through the basics of German numbers, from 1 to 100, with clear examples and tips for pronunciation.
Counting in German: Learn Numbers 1-10
The German cardinal numbers from 1 to 10 are shown in Table 1.1. You will have to learn them by heart.
No | Zahlen | Numbers |
---|---|---|
0 | null | zero |
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 |
❗ Note: Don’t confuse the German numeral “eins” (one = 1) with the indefinite article “ein” (a/an).
Counting from 11 to 20 in German
The German cardinal numbers from 11 to 20 are shown in Table 1.2.
No | Zahlen | Numbers |
---|---|---|
11 | elf | eleven |
12 | zwölf | twelve |
13 | dreizehn | thirteen |
14 | vierzehn | fourteen |
15 | fünfzehn | fiveteen |
16 | sechzehn | sixteen |
17 | siebzehn | seventeen |
18 | achtzehn | eightteen |
19 | neunzehn | nineteen |
20 | zwanzig | twenty |
❗ You will also have to learn 11 and 12 by heart.
Did you notice? Numbers between 13 and 19 in German follow a specific pattern: the unit number + ‘zehn’ (e.g., dreizehn for 13, vierzehn for 14). However, 16 (sechzehn) and 17 (siebzehn) are exceptions, as they use shortened forms of 6 (sechs) and 7 (sieben), making them easier to pronounce.
3 (drei) | ➕ 10 (zehn) | ➡️ 13 (dreizehn) |
4 (vier) | ➕ 10 (zehn) | ➡️ 14 (vierzehn) |
5 (fünf) | ➕ 10 (zehn) | ➡️ 15 (fünfzehn) |
6 (sechs) | ➕ 10 (zehn) | ➡️ 16 (sechzehn |
7 (sieben) | ➕ 10 (zehn) | ➡️ 17 (siebzehn |
8 (acht) | ➕ 10 (zehn) | ➡️ 18 (achtzehn) |
9 (neun) | ➕ 10 (zehn) | ➡️ 19 (neunzehn) |
Counting from 21 to 30 in German
In German, numbers between 21 and 99 are structured differently from English. They follow a unique pattern where the smaller number comes before the larger one.
For numbers 21 to 29, the format is: base number + ‘und’ + ‘zwanzig’. For example, einundzwanzig means twenty-one, zweiundzwanzig means twenty-two, and so on. A complete list of German cardinal numbers from 21 to 30 is displayed in Table 1.4.
No | Zahlen | Numbers |
---|---|---|
21 | einundzwanzig | twenty-one |
22 | zweiundzwanzig | twenty-two |
23 | dreiundzwanzig | twenty-three |
24 | vierundzwanzig | twenty-four |
25 | fünfundzwanzig | twenty-five |
26 | sechsundzwanzig | twenty-six |
27 | siebenundzwanzig | twenty-seven |
28 | achtundzwanzig | twenty-eight |
29 | neunundzwanzig | twenty-nine |
30 | dreißig | thirty |
❗ It’s important to note that it’s “dreißig” and not “dreizig.”
Counting from 31 to 40 in German
The German cardinal numbers from 31 to 40 follow the same pattern as numbers 21 to 29, with the smaller number coming first. For example, einunddreißig means thirty-one, and zweiunddreißig means thirty-two. A full list of numbers from 31 to 40 can be found in Table 1.5.
No | Zahlen | Numbers |
---|---|---|
31 | einunddreißig | thirty-one |
32 | zweiunddreißig | thirty-two |
33 | dreiunddreißig | thirty-three |
34 | vierunddreißig | thirty-four |
35 | fünfunddreißig | thirty-five |
36 | sechsunddreißig | thirty-six |
37 | siebenunddreißig | thirty-seven |
38 | achtunddreißig | thirty-eight |
39 | neununddreißig | thirty-nine |
40 | vierzig | forty |
❗ Numbers between 31 and 40 follow the pattern “number + und + dreißig“: einunddreißig (thirty-one), zweiunddreißig (thirty-two), and so on.
German Numbers 40-100: Multiples of 10
A complete list of German cardinal numbers from 40 to 100, including multiples of 10, is provided in Table 1.6.
No | Zahlen | Numbers |
---|---|---|
40 | vierzig | forty |
50 | fünfzig | fifty |
60 | sechzig | sixty |
70 | siebzig | seventy |
80 | achtzig | eighty |
90 | neunzig | ninety |
❗ Between 40 and 90, all numbers follow a consistent pattern: number + ‘zig’ (e.g., vierzig for forty, fünfzig for fifty). However, 60 (sechzig) and 70 (siebzig) are exceptions, as they use shortened forms of the words for 6 (sechs) and 7 (sieben). A detailed list of these numbers can be found in Table 1.7.
❗ 2 | zwei | + zig | = 20 (zwanzig) |
❗ 3 | drei | + ßig | = 30 (dreißig) |
4 | vier | + zig | = 40 (vierzig) |
5 | fünf | + zig | = 50 (fünfzig) |
❗ 6 | sechs | + zig | = 60 (sechzig) |
❗ 7 | sieben | + zig | = 70 (siebzig) |
8 | acht | + zig | = 80 (achtzig) |
9 | neun | + zig | = 90 (neunzig) |
Counting from 100 to 1,000 in German
Three-digit numbers in German follow the same logic as in English. They are constructed using the pattern number + hundert: for example, zweihundert (two hundred), dreihundert (three hundred), and so on. A detailed list of these numbers can be found in Table 1.8.
no | Zahlen | Numbers |
---|---|---|
100 | (ein)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 |
1000 | eintausend | one thousand |