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.

NoZahlenNumbers
0 nullzero
1 einsone
2 zweitwo
3 dreithree
4 vierfour
5 fünffive
6 sechssix
7 siebenseven
8 achteight
9 neunnine
10 zehnten
Table 1.1

❗ 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.

NoZahlenNumbers
11 elfeleven
12 zwölftwelve
13 dreizehnthirteen
14 vierzehnfourteen
15 fünfzehnfiveteen
16 sechzehnsixteen
17 siebzehnseventeen
18 achtzehneightteen
19 neunzehnnineteen
20 zwanzigtwenty
Table 1.2

❗ 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 sechszehn)
7 (sieben)➕ 10 (zehn)➡️ 17 (siebzehn siebenzehn)
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.

NoZahlenNumbers
21 einundzwanzigtwenty-one
22 zweiundzwanzigtwenty-two
23 dreiundzwanzigtwenty-three
24 vierundzwanzigtwenty-four
25 fünfundzwanzigtwenty-five
26 sechsundzwanzigtwenty-six
27 siebenundzwanzigtwenty-seven
28 achtundzwanzigtwenty-eight
29 neunundzwanzigtwenty-nine
30 dreißigthirty
Table 1.4

❗ 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.

NoZahlenNumbers
31 einunddreißigthirty-one
32 zweiunddreißigthirty-two
33 dreiunddreißigthirty-three
34 vierunddreißigthirty-four
35 fünfunddreißigthirty-five
36 sechsunddreißigthirty-six
37 siebenunddreißigthirty-seven
38 achtunddreißigthirty-eight
39 neununddreißigthirty-nine
40 vierzigforty
Table 1.5

❗ 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.

NoZahlenNumbers
40 vierzigforty
50 fünfzigfifty
60 sechzigsixty
70 siebzigseventy
80 achtzigeighty
90 neunzigninety
Table 1.6

❗ 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.

❗ 2zwei+ zig= 20 (zwanzig)
❗ 3drei+ ßig= 30 (dreißig)
4vier+ zig= 40 (vierzig)
5fünf+ zig= 50 (fünfzig)
❗ 6sechs+ zig= 60 (sechzig)
❗ 7sieben+ zig= 70 (siebzig)
8acht+ zig= 80 (achtzig)
9neun+ zig= 90 (neunzig)
Table 1.7

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.

noZahlenNumbers
100 (ein)hundertone hundred
200 zweihunderttwo hundred
300 dreihundertthree hundred
400 vierhundertfour hundred
500 fünfhundertfive hundred
600 sechshundertsix hundred
700 siebenhundertseven hundred
800 achthunderteight hundred
900 neunhundertnine hundred
1000 eintausendone thousand
Table 1.8

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