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 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.

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