German numbers 1 to 10
| Numeral | German number | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | eins | ainzh |
| 2 | zwei | tsvai |
| 3 | drei | drai |
| 4 | vier | feer |
| 5 | fünf | foonf |
| 6 | sechs | zehks |
| 7 | sieben | ZEE-ben |
| 8 | acht | ahkt |
| 9 | neun | noin |
| 10 | zehn | tsehn |
German numbers 11 to 20
| Numeral | German number | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | elf | ehlf |
| 12 | zwölf | tsvoolf |
| 13 | dreizehn | DRAI-tsehn |
| 14 | vierzehn | FEER-tsehn |
| 15 | fünfzehn | FOONF-tsehn |
| 16 | sechzehn | ZEHK-tsehn |
| 17 | siebzehn | ZEEB-tsehn |
| 18 | achtzehn | AHKT-tsehn |
| 19 | neunzehn | NOIN-tsehn |
| 20 | zwanzig | TVAN-tseeg |
Just like the -teen ending in English, German uses -zehn and the end off all numbers from 13 to 19.
German numbers 21 to 29
| Numeral | German number | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | einundzwanzig | AIN-und-SVAHN-tseeg |
| 22 | zweiundzwanzig | TSVAI-und-SVAHN-tseeg |
| 23 | dreiundzwanzig | DRAI-und-SVAHN-tseeg |
| 24 | vierundzwanzig | FEER-und-SVAHN-tseeg |
| 25 | fünfundzwanzig | FOONF-und-SVAHN-tseeg |
| 26 | sechsundzwanzig | ZEHKS-und-SVAHN-tseeg |
| 27 | siebenundzwanzig | ZEE-ben-und-SVAHN-tseeg |
| 28 | achtundzwanzig | AHKT-und-SVAHN-tseeg |
| 29 | neunundzwanzig | NOIN-und-SVAHN-tseeg |
| 30 | dreißig | DRAI-seeg |
In English, we use the formula of tens + ones to make larger numbers, such as thirty-six.
German builds its compound numbers with this formula: ones + und (and) + tens. Let’s look at an example:
25 = fünfundzwanzig = fünf (5) + und (and) + zwanzig (20)
Once you have grasped this you can master the numbers below.
German numbers 31 to 99
| Numeral | German number |
|---|---|
| 30 | dreißig |
| 40 | vierzig |
| 50 | fünfzig |
| 60 | sechzig |
| 70 | siebzig |
| 80 | achtzig |
| 90 | neunzig |
| 100 | einhundert |
You continue to use the formula of ones + und + tens.
Here are some examples:
31 = einunddreißig = ein (1) + und (and) + dreißig (30)
42 = zweiundvierzig = zwei (2) + und (and) + vierzig (40)
76 = sechsundsiebzig = sechs + und (and) + siebzig (70)
89 = neunundachtzig = neun + und (and) + achtzig (80)
German numbers that are 100 and larger
| Numeral | German number | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | einhundert | ain-HOON-dehrt |
| 1,000 | eintausend | ain-TAU-zehnd |
| 1,000,000 (million) | eine Million | AIN-eh MEE-lee-OHN |
| 1,000,000,000 (billion) | eine Milliarde | AIN-eh MEE-lee-AR-deh |
| 1,000,000,000,000 (trillion) | eine Billion | AIN-eh BEE-lee-OHN |