German Numbers: How to Count From 1 to 100

Counting in German is not just a skill for mathematicians or market-goers—it’s a gateway into the heart of everyday life in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. From ordering a round of beers to sharing your contact number, numbers are your constant companions in German-speaking lands.

 

Many assume that German is a labyrinthine language, but when it comes to numbers, it’s surprisingly straightforward. By learning the numbers from 1 to 20, you unlock a system that can carry you effortlessly up to 100. This article offers a clear and simple guide to counting in German, complete with pronunciation and examples.

German Numbers 1-10

The journey to German numerical fluency begins with the digits 0 through 10. These are the building blocks for all other numbers and are likely to be used daily. Here’s how to count from zero to ten in German:

Number	German	Pronunciation	Example Sentence
0	null	nool	“Ich habe null Probleme.” (I have zero problems.)
1	eins	ayns	“Ich hätte gern eins Bier, bitte.” (I would like one beer, please.)
2	zwei	tsvy	“Wir brauchen zwei Tische.” (We need two tables.)
3	drei	dry	“Drei Personen haben angerufen.” (Three people called.)
4	vier	feer	“Vier Jahreszeiten sind wunderbar.” (Four seasons are wonderful.)
5	fünf	foonf	“Ich sehe fünf Vögel.” (I see five birds.)
6	sechs	zex	“Das Spiel hat sechs Level.” (The game has six levels.)
7	sieben	zee-ben	“Sie hat sieben Katzen.” (She has seven cats.)
8	acht	ahkht	“Acht Stunden Arbeit sind genug.” (Eight hours of work are enough.)
9	neun	noyn	“Ich habe neun Punkte erzielt.” (I scored nine points.)
10	zehn	tsehn	“Zehn Minuten bis zum Start.” (Ten minutes to start.)

German Numbers 11-20

The numbers from 11 to 20 in German have their own unique forms, with “elf” and “zwölf” standing out as particularly distinct. Here’s your guide to counting from eleven to twenty:

Number	German	Pronunciation	Example Sentence
11	elf	elf	“Ich komme um elf Uhr.” (I’ll come at eleven o’clock.)
12	zwölf	tsvölf	“Das Dutzend ist voll, zwölf Eier.” (The dozen is full, twelve eggs.)
13	dreizehn	dry-tsehn	“Mein Bruder ist dreizehn Jahre alt.” (My brother is thirteen years old.)
14	vierzehn	feer-tsehn	“Es sind vierzehn Grad draußen.” (It’s fourteen degrees outside.)
15	fünfzehn	foonf-tsehn	“Sie hat fünfzehn Bücher gelesen.” (She read fifteen books.)
16	sechzehn	zex-tsehn	“Ich habe sechzehn Euro gefunden.” (I found sixteen euros.)
17	siebzehn	zeeb-tsehn	“Meine Tasche wiegt siebzehn Kilo.” (My bag weighs seventeen kilos.)
18	achtzehn	ahkht-tsehn	“Er hat achtzehn Kilometer gelaufen.” (He ran eighteen kilometers.)
19	neunzehn	noyn-tsehn	“Ich warte schon neunzehn Minuten.” (I’ve been waiting nineteen minutes.)
20	zwanzig	tsvahn-tsig	“Das Haus hat zwanzig Fenster.” (The house has twenty windows.)

German Multiples of 10

After 20, the numbers in German become more systematic. Learning the multiples of 10 is crucial, as they form the basis for the rest of the numbers up to 100.

Number	German	Pronunciation	Example Sentence
10	zehn	tsehn	“Ich habe zehn Nachrichten bekommen.” (I received ten messages.)
20	zwanzig	tsvahn-tsig	“Ich bin in meinen Zwanzigern.” (I am in my twenties.)
30	dreißig	dry-sig	“Sie ist dreißig Jahre alt.” (She is thirty years old.)
40	vierzig	feer-tsig	“Es gibt vierzig Schüler in der Klasse.” (There are forty students in the class.)
50	fünfzig	foonf-tsig	“Mein Vater ist fünfzig Jahre alt.” (My father is fifty years old.)
60	sechzig	zex-tsig	“Das Buch hat sechzig Seiten.” (The book has sixty pages.)
70	siebzig	zeeb-tsig	“Die Reise kostet siebzig Euro.” (The trip costs seventy euros.)
80	achtzig	ahkht-tsig	“Meine Oma ist achtzig Jahre jung.” (My grandma is eighty years young.)
90	neunzig	noyn-tsig	“Es gibt neunzig Minuten in einem Fußballspiel.” (There are ninety minutes in a football match.)
100	hundert	hoohn-dert	“Ich lebe seit hundert Tagen hier.” (I have been living here for one hundred days.)

How to Count from 1 to 100 in German

Once you’ve mastered the numbers up to 20 and the multiples of 10, you can form any number up to 100 by combining these elements. In German, the unit precedes the ten, joined by “und” (and).

Here’s how you can combine numbers to form higher numbers in German:

German Number	Combination Example	Pronunciation
21	einundzwanzig	ayn-und-tsvahn-tsig
32	zweiunddreißig	tsvy-und-dry-sig
47	siebenundvierzig	zee-ben-und-feer-tsig
58	achtundfünfzig	ahkht-und-foonf-tsig
69	neunundsechzig	noyn-und-zex-tsig
74	vierundsiebzig	feer-und-zeeb-tsig
85	fünfundachtzig	foonf-und-ahkht-tsig
96	sechsundneunzig	zex-und-noyn-tsig

By understanding this pattern, counting in German becomes intuitive. For example, 57 is “siebenundfünfzig” (seven-and-fifty), and 83 is “dreiundachtzig” (three-and-eighty). The pattern holds consistently, making it a simple task to learn to count all the way to 100. With this knowledge, you can confidently navigate markets, schedules, and social gatherings in German-speaking countries. So the next time you find yourself under the stars in a German town, counting “eins, zwei, drei” may lead you to dream in German too!

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