Numbers — Zahlen

Level A1 · 0–100 and beyond · the 21–99 flip · ordinals · 3,14

Why learn numbers as a pattern?

Numbers are everywhere: prices, phone numbers, ages, addresses, times. German builds most numbers from a few pieces — so you learn a few words and a system, not 100 separate words.

When you need them

Shopping: Das kostet fünfundzwanzig Euro.
Your age, your phone number, your address.
Dates and times.

Pattern

unit + und + tens

What changes

the order: from 21 to 99, German says the unit first

Examples

21 = **ein**undzwanzig — one-and-twenty
47 = **sieben**undvierzig — seven-and-forty

Remember: Read two-digit numbers right to left: 47 → sieben-und-vierzig.

Biggest memory rule

21 = one + and + twenty → ein-und-zwanzig

German flips the order compared with English: 45 = fünf-und-vierzig.

0–12 — memorise these directly

0 — null
1 — eins
2 — zwei
3 — drei
4 — vier
5 — fünf
6 — sechs
7 — sieben
8 — acht
9 — neun
10 — zehn
11 — elf
12 — zwölf

13–19 — number + zehn

Basic pattern

drei + + + **zehn** + → + drei**zehn**

vierzehn · fünfzehn · achtzehn · neunzehn follow the same idea.

Watch 16 and 17 — they shorten

16 → sechzehn — not sechszehn
17 → siebzehn — not siebenzehn
18 → achtzehn — normal pattern

20–90 — the tens

20 — zwanzig
30 — dreißig
40 — vierzig
50 — fünfzig
60 — sechzig
70 — siebzig
80 — achtzig
90 — neunzig

Three forms worth noticing

30 → dreißig — ß, not z
60 → sechzig — drops the s of sechs
70 → siebzig — drops -en of sieben

21–99 — the German flip

UNIT + und + TENS

**ein** + und + **zwanzig** + → + einundzwanzig

21 = literally “one-and-twenty”

Same pattern for every number 21–99

**fünf** + und + **vierzig** + → + fünfundvierzig

45 = “five-and-forty”

One picture to remember

45 → 5 first, then 40: fünf + und + vierzig

Say the small number first.

Small detail about 1

1 alone → eins — Ich habe eins.
21 → einundzwanzig — not einsundzwanzig
before a noun → ein / eine — ein Auto · eine Frau

Bigger numbers

100 — (ein)hundert
1.000 — (ein)tausend
1.000.000 — eine Million

Million behaves differently

(ein)hundert — written as one number word
(ein)tausend — also part of a number word
eine Million — Million is a feminine noun

Ordinal numbers — first, second, third …

1–19: number + -te

vier → vierte
zehn → zehnte

The ordinal then takes normal adjective endings in sentences.

20+: number + -ste

zwanzig → zwanzigste
hundert → hundertste

Example: der zwanzigste Tag.

Memorise these common ordinal forms

1. → erste — der erste Tag
3. → dritte — der dritte Tag
7. → siebte — the usual short form (siebente is old-fashioned)
8. → achte — no extra t

German number formatting

Decimal comma

3,14

drei Komma eins vier

Thousands

1.000

German usually uses a point as the thousands separator. A space is also used: 1 000.

Don’t mix English and German number punctuation

German: 1.234,56

thousands → point · decimals → comma

Final full picture

Summary

0–12 — memorise directly (eins · zwei · drei …)
13–19 — number + zehn (dreizehn)
20–90 — learn the tens (zwanzig · dreißig …)
21–99 — unit + und + tens (fünfundvierzig)
100 — (ein)hundert (hundert)
1.000 — (ein)tausend (tausend)
1 million — feminine noun (eine Million)
ordinals — -te / -ste (erste · zwanzigste)
decimal — comma (3,14)
thousands — point / space (1.000 · 1 000)

One rule to remember

27 = 7 + und + 20 → siebenundzwanzig

For 21–99, German says the unit first.

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