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Learning numbers in German is an excellent starting point when embarking on your journey to learn German. You’ll find German numbers popping up everywhere—from introducing yourself and shopping to navigating menus and catching trains! The good news? Counting in German is quite logical once you get the hang of it. So, let’s dive in together and explore how to count in German, from 1 to 1,000,000!

Basic Numbers in Gemran: 1-12

Let’s begin with the basics: numbers 1 through 12. These are the most frequently used German numbers in daily life.

Take a moment to repeat these numbers a few times. Do you notice anything different? The sounds of zwei and drei can be tricky, so practice pronouncing them slowly with audio resources.

Tens and Units in German: 13-99

Now that you’ve mastered the basics, let’s move on to numbers in German from 13-99. German uses a straightforward system here. For German numbers 13 through 19, simply add “-zehn” (ten) to the end of the base number:

• 13: dreizehn (three + ten)
• 14: vierzehn (four + ten)
• 15: fünfzehn (five + ten), and so on.

Once you hit 20, things get interesting! Counting in German follows a “backwards” pattern. For example:

• 21: einundzwanzig (one-and-twenty)
• 32: zweiunddreißig (two-and-thirty)
• 47: siebenundvierzig (seven-and-forty)

It’s a little different from English, but once you grasp the pattern, it’s pretty straightforward. Just remember that the smaller number comes first, followed by “-and” (und) and then the tens unit.

Hundreds, Thousands, and Beyond

Now let’s tackle the bigger numbers!

Just like in English, you add the number in front: zweihundert (200), dreitausend (3,000). From here, the pattern continues logically. For example:

• 145: einhundertfünfundvierzig (one hundred five and forty)
• 1,256: eintausendzweihundertsechsundfünfzig (one thousand two hundred six and fifty)

Larger numbers like a million (1,000,000) are also simple: eine Million.

Practical Tips for Using German Numbers

Knowing the numbers in German is only half the battle; now, let’s put them into practice! Here are some common ways you’ll encounter German numbers in daily life:

Phone Numbers

In German, phone numbers are typically read in pairs of digits. This means when you encounter a phone number, you group the numbers into twos for easier pronunciation. For example, if the phone number is 4930, you would say it as:

• 49 → vierundvierzig (forty-nine)
• 30 → dreißig (thirty)

So, 4930 becomes vierundvierzig dreißig. Here’s another example:
123456 → eins zwei, drei vier, fünf sechs (one two, three four, five six).

Prices

When shopping, prices are stated with the euro amount followed by the cent amount, using the words Euro and Cent. For example:

• If an item costs 3.50 euros, you would say drei Euro fünfzig.
• If something costs 10.99 euros, it would be zehn Euro neunundneunzig.

Ages

To express your age in German, you simply say Ich bin (I am) followed by your age. Here are a few examples:

• If you are 25 years old, you would say: Ich bin fünfundzwanzig Jahre alt (I am twenty-five years old).
• If someone is 45 years old, they would say: Ich bin fünfundvierzig Jahre alt (I am forty-five years old).

Telling Time

When telling time, for example, 3:15, you can say drei Uhr fünfzehn (three fifteen).

Fun Facts About German Numbers

Here are a couple of fun quirks about German numbers! When writing large numbers, German use dots instead of commas. So, 1,000 in English is written as 1.000 in German.

Another interesting point is the “backwards” structure of German numbers (like einundzwanzig). While it may seem tricky at first, you’ll get used to it with practice!

Don’t forget about ordinal numbers! These are the numbers used for ranking or ordering things (first, second, third). Here’s how the first few look:

• 1st: erste
• 2nd: zweite
• 3rd: dritte

You’ll often use these when giving dates (e.g., der dritte Januar = the 3rd of January). Feeling a bit confused? No worries! We’ll explore these further in a later post.

Counting in German is essential for mastering the language. Now that you’ve established a solid foundation in German numbers, you can start incorporating them into your everyday routine!