Numbers and Quantities
Basic Numbers
- The numbers from 1 to 10 in German are eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf, sechs, sieben, acht, neun, and zehn respectively.
- Pay attention to the spelling and pronunciation of each number, as these can greatly aid in understanding and sounding more authentic in your spoken German.
Numbers 11 to 20
- The numbers from 11 to 20 are elf, zwölf, dreizehn, vierzehn, fünfzehn, sechzehn, siebzehn, achtzehn, neunzehn, and zwanzig respectively.
- Note how 13-19 are formed by adding 'zehn' ('ten') after the smaller digit; e.g. 'dreizehn' is 'three and ten'.
Multiples of Ten
- The multiples of ten are zwanzig (20), dreißig (30), vierzig (40), fünfzig (50), sechzig (60), siebzig (70), achtzig (80), and neunzig (90).
- Note the pattern in these numbers – most of them simply add '-zig' to the end of the digit.
Hundreds and Thousands
- German for 'hundred' is hundert and 'thousand' is tausend.
- For numbers like 200, 300 etc., you simply attach 'hundert' after the digit; e.g., 'zweihundert' is 'two hundred'. The same pattern applies with thousands.
Quantifying Nouns
- Use ein for 'one' or 'a/an' when quantifying masculine or neuter nouns, and eine for feminine nouns.
- For plural quantities, German requires the use of zwei (two), drei (three), etc., directly before the noun. Unlike in English, you do not always need to include 'of' (e.g. 'two apples' is 'zwei Äpfel', not 'zwei von Äpfel').
Time
- When telling time, the word "Uhr" is used to represent 'o'clock'. For example, '2 o'clock' is 'zwei Uhr'.
- Quarter and half hours are expressed as "Viertel" (quarter) and "halb" (half). 'Half past two' would be 'halb drei', literally 'half three'. This is because in German you're referring to the upcoming hour, not the current one.
Dates
- Dates in German are expressed as 'the + number + month'. The word for 'the' (der) changes according to the gender, case and number of the noun it is qualifying. The number stays the same as it is, except for 'first', which is 'erste'.
- For example, 'the first of May' is 'der erste Mai'.