German Numbers

Now that we've covered some important grammar lessons, let's focus on building up your vocabulary, by learning the German numbers!

Learning how to count in German is pretty straight forward. Once you've memorised the first ten numbers, the rest are pretty predictable and uncomplicated to grasp. Let's start.

German Numbers (Basics)

Numbers 1 - 10

Let's start by learning the absolute basics: how to count from 1 - 10 in German!

Although German numbers often sound similar to their English translations, they are not exactly the same:

one (1)

two (2)

three (3)

four (4)

five (5)

six (6)

Listen closely to the pronunciation, and repeat the words out loud to yourself. Take a close look at the spelling.

You will need to memorise these words, as they will be the building blocks you'll be able to use, in order to construct larger numbers intuitively, in German.

Good job! 🎉

You're over the biggest hurdle. Let's continue, with numbers 11 - 20.

Numbers 11 - 20

This next set of numbers is notable, because the numbers 11 and 12 are unique, just as the numbers 1 - 10 are. You will need to simply memorise them.

However, from number 13 onwards, you'll notice a pattern and recognise the numbers you just learned above:

eleven (11)

twelve (12)

thirteen (13)

fourteen (14)

fifteen (15)

sixteen (16)

Numbers 21 - 30

Up until number 20, the numbers in German are arguably quite similar to their English translations: ten = zehn. fifteen = fünfzehn.

However, from number 20 onwards, things get a little trickier.

In English, the number 21 would be spelled: twenty-one. In German, it's spelled: einundzwanzig (one and twenty).

Most of the numbers in German will continue using this pattern:

twenty-one (21)

twenty-two (22)

twenty-three (23)

twenty-four (24)

twenty-five (25)

twenty-six (26)

Counting to 100

Let's now count to 100 in German, in multiples of 10. From 20 - 90, the -ig suffix is used.

ten (10)

twenty (20)

thirty (30)

fourty (40)

fifty (50)

sixty (60)

Notice the numbers that are multiples of ten here, from 20 - 90, end with a -zig suffix, with one exception: dreißig, ending with a -ßig suffix.

German Number Exercises

Keeping in mind the patterns you have learned in this article, can you correctly say these numbers out loud, in German?

Number	German
34	vierunddreißig
47	siebenundvierzig
88	achtundachtzig
91	einundneunzig
65	fünfundsechzig

Now try your hand at writing the numbers down, in this exercise:

Number	German
34
47
88
91
65

Large Numbers

Lastly, here are some other important, larger numbers to memorise.

thousand

two-thousand

ten thousand

twenty thousand

one hundred thousand

million

Watch out for the tricky one: die Milliarde may sound like 'million', but in fact means 'billion'.

Well done! 🎉

You now have a working knowledge of the German numbers, and may use them in conversation!

Head over to our next lesson on German restaurant phrases, to learn how to make use of the German numbers, in everyday situations.