German numbers 0–100: counting, spelling and practice

German numbers 0–20: learn the basic forms

German numbers are useful for quantities, prices, room numbers and everyday arrangements. Begin with null to zwanzig. Learn 0–12 as individual words. For 13–19, notice the ending -zehn, then check the shortened forms 16 and 17 rather than building them mechanically.

Count forward once, then change the order. Look at 8, 12 and 17 and retrieve acht, zwölf, siebzehn without restarting at one. Being able to recite the sequence is useful, but a price or room number rarely arrives in that order.

Build 21–99: unit + und + tens

The round tens are zwanzig, dreißig, vierzig, fünfzig, sechzig, siebzig, achtzig, neunzig. For a number between them, say the unit first, then und, then the tens. Thus 24 is vierundzwanzig: four-and-twenty. The written digits still put the tens on the left.

Build 21 as ein + und + zwanzig → einundzwanzig. The separate pieces show the pattern; the finished number is one word. Likewise, 37 is siebenunddreißig, 58 is achtundfünfzig and 99 is neunundneunzig. Use ein-, not eins-, inside einundzwanzig.

Keep the full forms of six and seven in these combinations: 26 is sechsundzwanzig and 27 is siebenundzwanzig. The shortening in sechzehn, sechzig, siebzehn, siebzig does not apply to every longer number. In normal writing, compound cardinal numbers below a million are joined and lower case, apart from ordinary sentence-initial capitalization.

The complete 0–100 reference: continue from 21

The first table covers 0–20. Open the ranges below to find every remaining number through 100. Try a word before looking it up, then check the whole spelling, especially the unit before und. The table uses hundert for 100; einhundert is also correct.

Check 16, 17, 30, 60 and 70; distinguish 13 from 30

Compare the complete words dreizehn – dreißig (13/30), vierzehn – vierzig (14/40) and fünfzehn – fünfzig (15/50). Continue with sechzehn – sechzig, siebzehn – siebzig, achtzehn – achtzig, neunzehn – neunzig. Do not decide from the beginning alone: the teen ending -zehn differs from the tens endings -zig and, in dreißig, -ßig.

For pronunciation practice, work with one pair at a time and connect each whole word to its written value. Say the word in a short phrase such as dreizehn Euro or dreißig Euro. An approximate English spelling cannot reliably show every German vowel or consonant. The goal here is to make the intended number clear, not to erase regional variation or grade your accent.

Use eins by itself, but ein before Euro

When counting, 1 is eins: eins, zwei, drei. A price given by itself can be ein Euro. In a complete sentence, say for example Das kostet einen Euro. The form before a noun also depends on its role in the sentence.

Other nouns need their own form: eine Karte and einen Kaffee. These examples introduce the difference between the standalone number and a form before a noun; they are not a complete article-ending chart. Inside 21, 31 or 41, the fixed number-word component is ein-: einundzwanzig, einunddreißig, einundvierzig.

A short step beyond 100: hundreds and a thousand

100 is hundert or einhundert; 1,000 is tausend or eintausend. Add the smaller number as a joined word: 101 can be hunderteins, 125 hundertfünfundzwanzig and 200 zweihundert. One usable form for 1,250 is tausendzweihundertfünfzig. These are examples, not a demand to memorize a second huge list.

The unit-before-tens pattern still appears inside a longer word: the last part of hundertfünfundzwanzig is 25. This guide concentrates on ordinary counting numbers. Dates use forms such as “first” and “second”, and years have additional reading conventions; do not assume every digit string must be read as one quantity.

Choose between a quantity, digits and a price

For a quantity, say the whole number: Wir brauchen vierundzwanzig Karten means 24 tickets or cards. For a code or phone number, reading one digit at a time is one clear option. The invented code 0 4 1 7 becomes null – vier – eins – sieben. Preserve its leading zero. Real speakers may group digits in other ways, so confirm the exact sequence when accuracy matters.

A price of 7,50 € can be read as sieben Euro fünfzig. For 12,05 €, zwölf Euro fünf Cent makes the five cents explicit. In these German price displays, the comma separates euros and cents. Here 05 means five cents; 50 would mean fifty cents and a different price.

When a number was unclear, ask Könnten Sie die Zahl bitte wiederholen? You can then check one alternative: Meinen Sie dreizehn oder dreißig? A short confirmation is more useful than guessing from the situation.

Eight number tasks with explained answers

Try each task before opening the answer. The code and prices are practice examples. These tasks check number forms and meaning; they do not record or score your pronunciation.

1. Write 16 as a German word.

   Show answer and reason

   sechzehn

   The s from sechs is absent in sechzehn. Keep the ending -zehn.

2. Write 17 as a German word.

   Show answer and reason

   siebzehn

   Sieben loses en in siebzehn. The form siebenundzwanzig, by contrast, keeps sieben.

3. Build 21 from the unit, und and the tens.

   Show answer and reason

   einundzwanzig

   Use ein + und + zwanzig, written together. The initial component is ein-, not eins-.

4. Which number is achtundfünfzig?

   Show answer and reason

   58

   Acht is the unit 8, fünfzig the tens 50: 50 + 8. The spoken word order does not reverse the written digits.

5. Match dreizehn and dreißig to 13 and 30.

   Show answer and reason

   dreizehn = 13; dreißig = 30

   The ending -zehn belongs to the teen number here; dreißig names the round tens. Do not stop after hearing drei-.

6. Say 1 alone, then give the price 1,00 € without a full sentence.

   Show answer and reason

   eins; ein Euro

   Eins is the standalone counting form. A price phrase before Euro uses ein. In a full sentence, other endings may be needed.

7. Read the invented code 0 4 1 7 one digit at a time.

   Show answer and reason

   null – vier – eins – sieben

   Keep all four digits in order, including the leading zero. It is a code, not the quantity four hundred and seventeen.

8. Read 12,05 € with both currency units explicit.

   Show answer and reason

   zwölf Euro fünf Cent

   The digits after the comma represent five cents. Zwölf Euro fünfzig would describe 12,50 €, a different price.

Use a few numbers in a complete exchange

Choose three numbers in a mixed order. Say one as a quantity, one digit by digit as a fictional code and one as a price. Write back the value you intended, then check it against the original. Repeat only the confusing items in a fresh order instead of restarting the entire list.

For hours and halb acht, continue with telling time in German. For Montag and Januar, use the days and months guide. To spell a name alongside a number, see the German alphabet and spelling guide.

Questions about this topic

Sources and further learning

• Goethe-Institut: Start Deutsch 1 — number words and everyday quantity/price learning objectives
• IDS grammis: official spelling rules §36(1.6) — compound cardinal numbers
• IDS grammis: official spelling rules §58(6) — lower case for cardinal numbers below a million

Source links checked: 2026-10-16.

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