German numbers from 1 to 100
Count in German from 0 to 100: the numbers 1 to 20, the tens, how 21 to 99 are built, the spelling traps, and ten exercises with answers.
Prepared by Deutsch Schreiben with AI assistance; original learning material. ·
Short answer
German numbers 1 to 12 are single words (eins to zwölf), 13 to 19 add -zehn (dreizehn), and the tens end in -zig (zwanzig, vierzig), except dreißig. From 21 to 99 the unit comes first and everything is one word: 21 = einundzwanzig, 45 = fünfundvierzig. 100 is hundert.
0 to 20 and the tens
| Number | German |
|---|---|
| 0 | null |
| 1 | eins |
| 2 | zwei |
| 3 | drei |
| 4 | vier |
| 5 | fünf |
| 6 | sechs |
| 7 | sieben |
| 8 | acht |
| 9 | neun |
| 10 | zehn |
| 11 | elf |
| 12 | zwölf |
| 13 | dreizehn |
| 14 | vierzehn |
| 15 | fünfzehn |
| 16 | sechzehn |
| 17 | siebzehn |
| 18 | achtzehn |
| 19 | neunzehn |
| 20 | zwanzig |
| 30 | dreißig |
| 40 | vierzig |
| 50 | fünfzig |
| 60 | sechzig |
| 70 | siebzig |
| 80 | achtzig |
| 90 | neunzig |
| 100 | hundert |
Watch three spellings: sechzehn and sechzig drop the s of sechs, siebzehn and siebzig drop the en of sieben, and dreißig is written with ß.
21 to 99: the unit comes first
German says the unit first, then “and”, then the ten, all in one word:
21 = einundzwanzig (one-and-twenty)
35 = fünfunddreißig
99 = neunundneunzig
Before und, eins becomes ein: einundzwanzig. The same order appears in the hundreds: hundertfünfundzwanzig = 125.
Typical mistakes
- Writing with spaces: ein und zwanzig is wrong; write einundzwanzig.
- sechszehn and dreizig are wrong: sechzehn, dreißig.
- German uses a decimal comma: 2,5 (zwei Komma fünf), and a point for thousands: 1.000.
- Arabic speakers already say the unit first (واحد وعشرون), so do not switch to the English order “zwanzig eins”.
Numbers in daily life
- Prices: 3,50 € = drei Euro fünfzig.
- On the phone, people often say zwo instead of zwei so it does not sound like drei.
- Years: 1990 = neunzehnhundertneunzig, but 2026 = zweitausendsechsundzwanzig.
Ten exercises with explanations
Type only the answer, then check it. You can open each explanation without an account.
Common questions
Why do Germans say the numbers backwards?
From 21 to 99 German says the unit before the ten (einundzwanzig = one-and-twenty), like Arabic واحد وعشرون. It is written as one word.
How do you say 100 and 1000 in German?
100 is hundert (or einhundert) and 1000 is tausend (or eintausend).
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