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Mastering numbers in German is essentially important throughout your language-learning journey. From on a regular basis conversations to navigating German cities, studying the right way to pronounce numbers in German and figuring out which Zahlen (numbers) are being spoken to you performs a vital position in talking confidently.
The diacritical marks, phonetic variations, and variations in quantity formation may be tough for an English speaker who’s simply beginning to be taught the German language. In case you’re seeking to be taught German, then use this complete information together with Rosetta Stone’s Reside Classes to search out in-depth explanations of those linguistic nuances and tips about the right way to grasp German numbers.
The way to pronounce numbers in German
Familiarizing your self with the correct pronunciation of German phrases is step one in with the ability to precisely talk with German audio system. Umlauts are symbols that seem as two dots above a vowel written as ö and ü, and are used to switch the sound a vowel makes. You’ll see these umlauts whereas studying numbers in German, and so they’re pronounced like this:
| Umlaut Vowel | The way to Pronounce | Instance in Numbers |
| ö | Kind an “o,” and pronounce the sound just like the “e” in “her.” | zwölf (twelve) |
| ü | Say “ee” like in “cheese,” however spherical your lips to make an “o” sound. | fünf (5) |
Audio system can even encounter letters whereas studying numbers in German which can be pronounced in a different way than in English, however are written the identical in each languages. A few of the important phonetic variations you’ll encounter whereas mastering German numbers are:
| German Letter | German Pronunciation |
| ch | x |
| s | z |
| v | f |
| w | v |
| z | ts |
You’ll typically encounter the image “ß” as properly in German numbers reminiscent of dreißig (thirty). This image known as an “Eszett” and represents a pointy “s” sound in German writing. An ß can also be written as “ss” like in dreissig (thirty). Curiously, the Swiss type of German doesn’t use the ß in any respect, so that you’ll see it as an “ss” as a substitute.
Memorizing these variations will assist you to sound extra pure whereas talking German. To actually grasp your German accent, follow saying German phrases and German verbs utilizing our TruAccent speech recognition engine for direct suggestions on the standard of your pronunciation.
German numbers 1-10
Studying numbers in German from 1-10 offers you the constructing blocks you’ll want to specific extra complicated numerical expressions. Paying particular consideration to every quantity’s personal, distinctive pronunciation offers you a strong base for spoken readability and understanding on a regular basis German conversations. Every quantity from 1 to 10 is written out under, together with its corresponding German spelling and pronunciation.
| Numeral | German | English Pronunciation |
| 1 | eins | ains |
| 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 |
Since English and German share linguistic roots, there are lots of tips you should use to narrate German numbers to English ones. As an illustration, think about null. This German phrase that means “zero” can also be the identical phrase utilized in English to imply “having no worth” or “not any.”
You can too examine the similarities in how every letter sounds to their English counterpart, like how sieben and 7 each begin with an “s” and finish in an “n,” or how vier and “4” each begin with the “f” sound. Creating your individual, distinctive reminiscence tips, together with common follow and repetition, will make sure that these numbers stick to you rapidly and stay with you in the long term.
German numbers 11-19
Now that we’ve coated our elementary constructing blocks of 1 to 10, let’s transfer on to our numbers in German from 11 to 19. These numbers are distinctive and require particular consideration to their pronunciation and spelling, but additionally have so much in frequent with how English numbers are fashioned on this numerical group. Similar to in English, the German numbers elf (eleven) and zwölf (twelve) are distinct from the remainder of this group of numbers, so that you’ll simply have to memorize the phrases reasonably than the formulation.
From 13 to 19, the numbers comply with a extra predictable sample by combining the constructing blocks of numbers three to 9 with the suffix -zehn. This mirrors English numbers, the place the basis quantity is added to the suffix “-teen” as in “4teen” or “seventeen.”
- [root number] + -zehn
- 5 + -teen = fifteen
- fünf + -zehn = fünfzehn
Notably, the phrase sechzehn (sixteen) drops the -s from its root phrase sechs (six) and the phrase siebzehn (seventeen) drops the -en from its root phrase sieben (seven) for a smoother pronunciation of the general phrase. This rule doesn’t apply when a six or seven is within the ones place for units of numbers with a tens place worth of twenty or above, like in sechsundzwanzig (twenty-six) or siebenundvierzig (forty-seven) the place the ending of the basis phrase is stored. Learn the desk under for a complete have a look at every German quantity on this group, its spelling, and its pronunciation.
| Numeral | German Spelling | 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 |
German numbers 20-99
As soon as we attain the tens teams (twenties, thirties, and many others.), we’re met with a brand new formulation for remembering German numbers. Once more, this formulation is straightforward to recollect because it matches how English treats its tens numbers. In German, the basis quantity is added to the suffix -zig to signify that quantity within the tens place. This matches precisely how the basis quantity is added to the suffix “-ty” in English like within the quantity “ninety.”
- [root number] + -zig
- 5 + -ty = fifty
- fünf + -zig = fünfzig
Needless to say the -s in sechs is dropped for sechzig (sixty) and the -en in sieben is dropped for siebzig (seventy) for a smoother pronunciation. By evaluating these formation guidelines to the very related construction in English, you possibly can rapidly adapt to the units of upper numbers in German.
Units of German numbers are fashioned seemingly backward from this level ahead compared to how the English phrases for numbers are written and spoken. English phrases for numbers are written and skim from the very best place worth to the bottom and from left to proper.
So for instance, the numeral 25 is written out in English as twenty-five, which feels very pure to English audio system. German numerals from 20 to 99 are written and spoken with those place coming first, adopted by und (and), then the tens place. In different phrases, the bottom quantity is spoken and skim first. There aren’t any areas when forming these numbers in German.
- [ones place] + and + [tens place]
- 5 + and + twenty = twenty-five
- fünf+und+zwanzig = fünfundzwanzig (twenty-five)
Notice that the -s from eins is dropped within the ones place for numbers 20-99 as within the quantity einundvierzig (forty-one). Although this method may be tough at first for an English speaker to get used to, creating the behavior of breaking down longer phrases into their smaller root phrases shall be invaluable all through your language studying journey. With repetition and remembering this formulation, you possibly can learn to write out and pronounce numbers in German from 20 to 99.
| Numeral | German Spelling | Pronunciation |
| 20 | zwanzig | TSVAHN-tseeg |
| 30 | dreißig | DRAI-seeg |
| 40 | vierzig | FEER-tseeg |
| 50 | fünfzig | FOONF-tseeg |
| 60 | sechzig | ZEHK-tseeg |
| 70 | siebzig | ZEEB-tseeg |
| 80 | achtzig | AHKT-tseeg |
| 90 | neunzig | NOIN-tseeg |
Different frequent German numbers comply with the identical patterns beforehand mentioned. We’ve included a pattern of them on this chart.
| Numeral | German Spelling | Pronunciation |
| 23 | dreiundzwanzig | DRAI-oont-TSVAHN-tseeg |
| 44 | vierundvierzig | FEER-oont-FEER-tseeg |
| 57 | siebenundfünfzig | ZEE-ben-oont-FOONF-tseeg |
| 68 | achtundsechzig | AHKT-oont-ZEHK-tseeg |
| 71 | einundsiebzig | AIN-oont-ZEEB-tseeg |
| 83 | dreiundachtzig | DRAI-oont-AHKT-tseeg |
| 99 | neunundneunzig | NOIN-oont-NOIN-tseeg |
Since German is known for its unusually lengthy compound phrases, this follow of breaking longer phrases down into their composite root phrases just isn’t solely invaluable however vital. As proven from the formulation above, you don’t should memorize a whole bunch of various numbers, however reasonably how they’re fashioned. By mastering how units of numbers are fashioned from 20-99, writing and speaking a lot bigger numbers shall be a breeze.
German numbers 100 and past
Understanding the numbers 100 and past in German entails recognizing patterns just like what we use in English, mixed with the foundations that we’ve realized from forming numbers 1-99 in German. The German phrase for 100 is einhundert which mixes the phrases eins and hundert with out the house in between the 2 root phrases. This sample of quantity formation continues for each a whole bunch place (zweihundert and neunhundert).
It’s price remembering that sechs and sieben aren’t shortened for these hundreds-place numbers like they’re for the tens place, however the -s remains to be dropped from eins. Remembering this sample, it is possible for you to to rely all the way in which to 999 in German, which is able to cowl most of your each day conversational wants.
You may need to be taught numbers that transcend 100 too. So, should you’d like to debate funds, inhabitants sizes, and the variety of grains of sand on Earth in German, then you possibly can be taught eintausend (one thousand), eine Million (a million), and eine Milliarde (one billion).
For numbers within the tens and a whole bunch of 1000’s, reminiscent of 325,000, you’ll comply with our guidelines for numbers 1-999 and finish the quantity with –tausend (thousand).
- [hundreds place] + hundred + [ones place] + and + [tens place] + thousand
- Three + hundred + 5 + and + twenty + thousand
- drei + hundert + fünf + und + zwanzig + tausend = dreihundertfünfundzwanzigtausend
When studying hundreds of thousands, the construction stays related by including the basis quantity within the hundreds of thousands place and the phrase Million (million) when the quantity within the hundreds of thousands place is the same as eins (one) or Millionen (hundreds of thousands) when the quantity within the hundreds of thousands place is increased than one, as in drei Millionen (three million). Add areas earlier than and after Million for correct quantity formation. To write down out the quantity 2,325,000, use the formulation under, then strive saying this tongue tornado out loud.
- [millions place] + million + [hundreds place] + hundred + [ones place] + and + [tens place] + thousand
- two + million + three + hundred + 5 + and + twenty + thousand
- Zwei + Millionen + drei + hundert + fünf + und + zwanzig + tausend = zwei Millionen dreihundertfünfundzwanzigtausend
There’s a trick to a few of the exceedingly massive numbers that you just’ll want to concentrate to. One billion is eine Milliarde in German, and one trillion is eine Billion. They’re false associates (or cognates) since we may suppose that Billion in German was “billion” in English. However it’s not. And also you’ll say complicated hundreds of thousands in a different way too. For instance, 1,500,000,000 is eine Milliarde fünfhundert Millionen. See the desk under for detailed spelling and pronunciation of those German numbers past 100.
| Numeral | German Spelling | Pronunciation |
| 100 | einhundert | AIN-HOON-dert |
| 1,000 | eintausend | AIN-TOW-zend |
| 1,000,000 | eine Million | AIN-uh-MIL-yon |
| 1,000,000,000 | eine Milliarde | AIN-uh-MIL-yard-uh |
By understanding these patterns and practising their formation, you possibly can change into proficient in studying and comprehending the very best numbers you’re ever prone to encounter in German. This may make you a grasp of German numbers in formation, writing, and pronunciation!
Grasp numbers in German with Rosetta Stone
When studying what the numbers in German are, it’s vital to learn to break down longer, extra intimidating numbers into their root phrases and endings. Creating your individual reminiscence tips to narrate numbers in German to their English counterparts will speed up your understanding of German as a complete. By studying German with Rosetta Stone, you may get suggestions on pronunciation and develop the abilities you’ll have to kind extra complicated expressions.