Numbers (Zahlen)
German cardinal numbers (Zahlen) are mostly regular, with a few things to watch: the number one is eins when counting but ein- (with article endings) before a noun; the teens and beyond are 'flipped', said units-first — einundzwanzig literally means 'one-and-twenty' (21); and ordinals ('first, second…') are built by adding -te up to 19 and -ste from 20, with three irregulars (erste, dritte, siebte).
0–12: learn them individually
The lowest numbers are their own words and must be memorized: null, eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf, sechs, sieben, acht, neun, zehn, elf, zwölf.
null, eins, zwei, drei
0, 1, 2, 3
elf, zwölf
11, 12
irregular teen-words
13–19: unit + zehn
From 13 to 19 you attach the unit to -zehn: dreizehn, vierzehn, … neunzehn. Two spellings shift slightly: sechzehn (16, no -s) and siebzehn (17, no -en).
dreizehn, vierzehn, fünfzehn
13, 14, 15
sechzehn, siebzehn
16, 17
shortened: sech-, sieb-
The 'flip': 21, 22, 35…
This is the famous quirk. For two-digit numbers above 20, German says the unit first, then 'und', then the ten, written as one word: einundzwanzig = 'one-and-twenty' (21), zweiunddreißig = 'two-and-thirty' (32). Note that before 'und' the number 1 is ein (not eins): einundzwanzig.
einundzwanzig
21
'one-and-twenty' → ein + und + zwanzig
zweiunddreißig
32
sechsundvierzig
46
Tens, hundreds, thousands
The tens are zwanzig, dreißig (note: dreißig with -ßig), vierzig, fünfzig, sechzig (no -s), siebzig (no -en), achtzig, neunzig. Then hundert (100) and tausend (1000); 'ein' is usually dropped: (ein)hundert.
zwanzig, dreißig, vierzig
20, 30, 40
dreißig is spelled -ßig
(ein)hundert, tausend
100, 1000
hundertzwanzig
120
eins vs. ein
Say eins when counting or naming the number by itself ('eins, zwei, drei'; 'Nummer eins'). But directly before a noun, 'one' behaves like the indefinite article and takes endings: ein Mann, eine Frau, einen Mann. So it's 'eins' alone, but 'ein Buch' with a noun.
eins, zwei, drei
one, two, three
counting → eins
ein Buch
one book / a book
before a noun → ein (with article endings)
einundzwanzig
21
before 'und' → ein
Ordinals: 'first, second, third…'
Ordinals turn a number into a ranking. The rule: add -te to numbers up to 19, and -ste from 20 upward — then give them adjective endings. Three are irregular: erste (1st), dritte (3rd), siebte (7th); also achte (8th, just one t).
der erste, der zweite, der dritte
the 1st, 2nd, 3rd
erste and dritte are irregular
der vierte, der siebte, der achte
the 4th, 7th, 8th
siebte (not *siebente), achte (one t)
der zwanzigste, der hundertste
the 20th, 100th
-ste from 20 up
Examples
einundzwanzig
21
units-first 'flip'
eins vs. ein Buch
one (counting) vs. one/a book
ein before a noun
dreißig
30
spelled -ßig
der dritte
the third
irregular ordinal
der zwanzigste
the twentieth
-ste from 20 up
| Number | German |
|---|---|
| 1 / 2 / 3 | eins / zwei / drei |
| 16 / 17 | sechzehn / siebzehn |
| 20 / 30 | zwanzig / dreißig |
| 21 | einundzwanzig |
| 100 / 1000 | (ein)hundert / tausend |
| Cardinal | Ordinal | Note |
|---|---|---|
| eins | erste | irregular |
| drei | dritte | irregular |
| sieben | siebte | shortened |
| vier | vierte | regular -te |
| zwanzig | zwanzigste | -ste from 20 |
Common mistakes
- Reading two-digit numbers left-to-right: 21 is einundzwanzig ('one-and-twenty'), not *zwanzigeins.
- Using 'eins' before a noun — before a noun it's ein/eine/einen (ein Buch), and before 'und' it's ein (einundzwanzig).
- Spelling 30 as *dreizig — it's dreißig, with -ßig.
- Adding -s to sechzehn/sechzig or -en to siebzehn/siebzig — they shorten to sech- and sieb-.
- Regularizing the ordinals — it's erste, dritte, siebte, achte, not **einte/**dreite/**siebente/**achtte.
Lookup tips
- Build two-digit numbers as one word, unit + und + ten: 47 = sieben + und + vierzig → siebenundvierzig.
- Ordinal shortcut: -te through 19, -ste from 20 — then add the adjective ending for the noun.
- Watch the three spelling shrinkers: sechs→sech-, sieben→sieb-, and drei→dreißig.
Frequently asked questions
Why is 21 said as 'one-and-twenty'?
German states two-digit numbers units-first: the unit, then und, then the ten, all as one word — einundzwanzig (21), zweiunddreißig (32). It's a fixed feature of the language, so 47 is siebenundvierzig.
When do I use 'eins' and when 'ein'?
Use eins when counting or naming the bare number (eins, zwei, drei; Nummer eins) and before 'und' in compounds (einundzwanzig). Before a noun, 'one' acts like the indefinite article and takes endings: ein Buch, eine Frau, einen Mann.
How do I form ordinal numbers?
Add -te to numbers up to 19 and -ste from 20 upward, then adjective endings: der vierte, der zwanzigste. Learn the irregulars erste (1st), dritte (3rd), siebte (7th), and achte (8th).