Vocabulary - General: Numbers and Quantities
German Vocabulary: Numbers and Quantities
Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers
- Make sure to learn cardinal numbers – these are used to quantify things, for examples: 'one', 'two', 'three', and so on. German cardinal numbers from 1 (eins) to 20 (zwanzig) are unique and need to be memorised individually.
- Numbers from 21 (einundzwanzig) onwards follow a pattern where the digit number is followed by the tens place, reverse of English.
- Apart from cardinal, German also uses ordinal numbers, which describe the order of things such as first (erste), second (zweite), and third (dritte). These numbers end with 'te' up to 19 and change to 'ste' from 20 onwards.
Fractions and Percentages
- Learn how to express fractions and percentages in German. Half is 'die Hälfte', a third is 'ein Drittel', a quarter is 'ein Viertel'. 'Prozent' is used for percentage.
Quantifying Words and Units
- Quantifying words in German include 'einige' (few/some), 'mehrere' (several), 'viel' (a lot/much), 'wenige' (a few), and 'genug' (enough).
- Familiarize yourself with terms for masses and quantities - 'Gramm' (grammes), 'Kilogramm' (kilogrammes), 'Liter' (litres), 'metre' (metres).
Decimal Expression and Time
- Germans use 'Komma' for expressing a point or decimal.
- Be confident with expressing dates and times. Germans use 'halb' differently than 'half' in English. 'Halb drei' would mean half an hour before three, or 2:30.
Currency
- While discussing prices, the words 'Euro' and 'Cent' are used as in English.
Revision Techniques
- Regular practise is crucial in mastering German numbers and quantities, as they are everywhere in daily communication. Try to incorporate them into simple sentences to gain confidence.
- Use flashcards, listening exercises and online quizzes to engrave these terms into your memory. It's not enough to just be familiar with these terms, you must be able to recall them with ease.