Lessons

Cardinal numbers

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Learn to count from 20 to 1,000,000 by understanding the rules for tens and ones.

The core pattern: “ones + und + tens” (21–99)

German flips the order compared to English for 21–99 (except exact tens like 30, 40…).

  • English: sixty-four (tens + ones)
  • German: vier + und + sechzig = vierundsechzig (64)
Number How to build it Correct German
25 5 + und + 20 fünfundzwanzig
34 4 + und + 30 vierunddreißig
99 9 + und + 90 neunundneunzig

Self-check: Can you spot the tens at the end? That’s your anchor when listening.

Two frequent “gotchas”: 1, and 16/17

  • Use “ein” (not “eins”) inside compound numbers:
    31 = einunddreißig (not einsunddreißig)
  • Special forms to recognize quickly (A1 classics):
    • 16 = sechzehn (often pronounced like “sech-tsen”)
    • 17 = siebzehn

Tip: In 61, 71, 81… you still use ein: einundsechzig, einundsiebzig.

Tens: spelling & pronunciation traps (30–90)

These are common sources of mistakes when writing or understanding prices.

Tens Correct Watch out for
30 dreißig ß (not ss): dreissig
40 vierzig no “-er”: vierzig ✓ (but vierzig is fine) / vierzig is correct; avoid vierzig with extra letters like vierzig
50 fünfzig keep the “fünf-”
60 sechzig often sounds like “sech-tsig”
70 siebzig drops the “en” from sieben

Practical listening rule: Focus on the ending: -zig (40–90). Then catch the beginning (vier-, fünf-, sech-, sieb-…).

Hundert and Tausend: no “and”, no plural

  • 100 = hundert
  • 200 = zweihundert
  • 1,000 = tausend
  • 2,000 = zweitausend

Important: In German, you normally don’t insert und in numbers like 201.

  • 201 = zweihunderteins (not zweihundert und eins)
  • 1,046 = tausendsechsundvierzig

Self-check: If you see hundert or tausend, write it as one block with the number parts around it.

Million and Milliarde: article + plural “-en”

From one million upward, German treats it like a noun.

  • 1,000,000 = eine Million
  • 2,000,000 = zwei Millionen (plural -en)
  • 1,000,000,000 = eine Milliarde
  • 2,000,000,000 = zwei Milliarden

Memory hook: Million/Milliarde behave like countable items: a million, two millions.

Quick “build it yourself” checklist

  1. Is it 20–99 (not an exact ten)? → ones + und + tens
  2. Does it end with 1? → use ein (not eins)
  3. Does it include hundert/tausend? → keep them fixed; usually no und
  4. Is it Million/Milliarde? → add article and plural -en when needed

Mini self-test: Say these aloud and check the order: 46, 77, 201, 2,000,000.

  1. Tens and ones are linked with „und“ , e.g.: „einundzwanzig“, „zweiunddreißig“ .
  2. The ones digit comes before the tens digit: e.g. „vierundsechzig“ (64).
  3. „Hundert“ and „Tausend“ always stay the same.
  4. From one million upwards, you need an article and the plural ending "-en": e.g. eine Million, zwei Millionen, eine Milliarde, zwei Milliarden.
Nummer (Number)Beispiel (Example)Beispiel (Example)
20 : 25: Fünfundzwanzig (twenty-five)100: Hundert ((one) hundred)
30: Dreißig (thirty)34: Vierunddreißig (thirty-four)200: Zweihundert (two hundred)
40 : Vierzig (forty)46: Sechsundvierzig (forty-six)201: Zweihunderteins (two hundred and one)
50 : Fünfzig (fifty)53: Dreiundfünfzig (fifty-three)1 000: Tausend ((one) thousand)
60 : Sechzig (sixty)61: Einundsechzig (sixty-one)2 000: Zweitausend (two thousand)
70 : Siebzig (seventy)77: Siebenundsiebzig (seventy-seven)1 000 000: Eine Million (one million)
80 : Achtzig (eighty)86: Sechsundachtzig (eighty-six)2 000 000: Zwei Millionen (two million)
90 : Neunzig (ninety)99: Neunundneunzig (ninety-nine)1 000 000 000: Eine Milliarde (one billion)
  2 000 000 000: Zwei Milliarden (two billion)

Exceptions!

  1. For numbers ending in „eins“ , you use „ein“ : e.g. „einunddreißig“ instead of „einsunddreißig“

Exercise 1: Multiple choice

Instruction: Choose the correct answer

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Free DE

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DE + EN

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1. Wie viel kostet der Kaffee? – Er kostet ____ Euro. Wie viel kostet der Kaffee? – Er kostet zweiunddreißig Euro.

How much does the coffee cost? – It costs ____ euros.

2. Meine Kollegin ist ____ Jahre alt. Meine Kollegin ist einundsechzig Jahre alt.

My colleague is ____ years old.

3. Die Rechnung ist ____ Euro. Die Rechnung ist zweihunderteins Euro.

The bill is ____ euros.

4. In der Stadt wohnen ____ Menschen. In der Stadt wohnen zwei Millionen Menschen.

____ people live in the city.

Exercise 2: Rewrite the phrases

Instruction: Rewrite the sentences and write the number as a word (e.g. 64 → sixty-four; 2 000 000 → two million).

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  1. Im Kurs sind 34 Teilnehmer.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Im Kurs sind vierunddreißig Teilnehmer.
    (There are thirty-four participants in the course.)
  2. Mein Bus kommt in 46 Minuten.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Mein Bus kommt in sechsundvierzig Minuten.
    (My bus arrives in forty-six minutes.)
  3. Das Ticket kostet 77 Euro.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Das Ticket kostet siebenundsiebzig Euro.
    (The ticket costs seventy-seven euros.)
  4. Die Firma hat 201 Mitarbeiter.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Die Firma hat zweihunderteins Mitarbeiter.
    (The company has two hundred one employees.)
  5. Ich wohne in Hausnummer 1000.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Ich wohne in Hausnummer tausend.
    (I live at house number one thousand.)
  6. In Berlin wohnen 2 000 000 Menschen.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    In Berlin wohnen zwei Millionen Menschen.
    (Two million people live in Berlin.)

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Sophie Schmidt

International Administration Management

Würzburger Dolmetscherschule

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Last Updated:

Monday, 07/09/2026 16:41