German numbers are one of the first things you will use in real life, whether you are paying for a coffee in Berlin, reading a train platform sign, or leaving your phone number with a new friend. The good news is that German counting follows clear, repeatable patterns, so once you learn the building blocks from zero to twelve, almost everything else falls into place. The one famous twist is that Germans say the units before the tens, so twenty-one becomes “one-and-twenty.” In this guide you will learn to count from 0 to 100 and beyond, get the pronunciation right, master ordinal numbers, and confidently handle prices, phone numbers, and years.

Why German Numbers Are Easier Than They Look

German is a highly systematic language, and numbers are a perfect example of that logic in action. Instead of memorizing hundreds of separate words, you learn a small core set and then combine them with a few connectors like und (and), hundert (hundred), and tausend (thousand). Because the vocabulary is so consistent, learning to count also reinforces spelling and pronunciation habits that carry over into the rest of your studies. If you are just starting out and want to see where numbers fit into your overall progress, our overview of German language levels shows exactly what a beginner is expected to know at the A1 stage.

German Numbers 0 to 12: The Building Blocks

These first thirteen numbers are the foundation of the entire counting system, and there is no shortcut here: you simply have to memorize them. Every larger number is built from these words, so a little effort now saves a lot of confusion later. Notice how short and punchy most of them are.

A quick pronunciation tip: the German letter combination z is always pronounced like the “ts” in “cats,” never like the English “z.” That is why zwei sounds like “tsvy” and zehn sounds like “tsayn.” The ü in fünf and zwölf is a rounded vowel that does not exist in English; round your lips as if to say “oo” but try to say “ee” instead.

Numbers 13 to 19: Just Add -zehn

From thirteen to nineteen, German becomes wonderfully predictable. You take the single-digit number and attach -zehn (ten) to the end. So drei plus zehn gives dreizehn (thirteen). There are only two small spelling adjustments to remember: sixteen and seventeen drop a few letters for smoother pronunciation.

Note that sixteen is sechzehn, not “sechszehn” (the final s of sechs disappears), and seventeen is siebzehn, not “siebenzehn” (the -en of sieben is dropped). These are the only two irregularities in the whole teens range.

The “Flipped” Rule: Tens and Units From 21 to 99

Here is the single most important thing to understand about German numbers. From twenty-one onward, German says the units digit first, then und (and), then the tens digit, all written as one word. So twenty-one is literally “one-and-twenty”: einundzwanzig. English speakers actually have an old echo of this in the nursery rhyme “four and twenty blackbirds,” which can help it feel less strange.

The formula is simple: unit + und + ten, joined into a single word with no spaces. Watch how eins loses its final s and becomes ein inside these compounds:

A few details to lock in. The tens ending is -zig for almost all of them, but thirty is the exception: it uses -ßig, giving dreißig. Just like before, sixty and seventy shorten to sechzig and siebzig. Once you have these tens, you can build every number up to 99 by dropping the appropriate unit in front. For example, forty-seven is siebenundvierzig (seven-and-forty) and eighty-three is dreiundachtzig (three-and-eighty).

This flipped structure is a small hurdle at first, but it becomes automatic with practice, much like the patterns you meet when you study German verb conjugation rules. The key is to say the whole compound as one smooth word rather than pausing between the parts.

Hundreds, Thousands, and Beyond

Large numbers in German are formed by stacking the same building blocks together, and, mercifully, the pieces stay glued into one long word. To say the hundreds, put the multiplier in front of hundert: two hundred is zweihundert and five hundred is fünfhundert. The same logic applies to thousands with tausend.

When you combine parts, the order runs from largest to smallest, except that the final tens-and-units pair still flips. So 365 is dreihundertfünfundsechzig (three-hundred-five-and-sixty). Watch out for a classic “false friend” in the millions: the German Milliarde means one billion (a thousand million), while Billion in German actually means a trillion. For deeper reference on how these large-number naming systems differ between languages, Encyclopaedia Britannica offers a clear explanation of the long and short scales.

Ordinal Numbers: First, Second, Third

Ordinal numbers tell you the position of something in a sequence, and you will need them constantly for dates, floors in a building, and rankings. In German, ordinals from second to nineteenth are formed by adding -te to the number, while from twentieth onward you add -ste. The exceptions are first (erste), third (dritte), seventh (siebte), and eighth (achte), which are slightly irregular.

In writing, German ordinals are marked with a period after the numeral, so “the 1st of May” is written der 1. Mai. When an ordinal is used as an adjective before a noun, it takes the usual adjective endings, so “the third time” becomes das dritte Mal. Ordinals also appear when you wish someone a happy occasion, which pairs nicely with learning how to say happy birthday in German.

Telling Prices, Phone Numbers, and Years

Knowing the numbers is only half the battle; using them in everyday contexts has a few conventions worth learning early.

Saying Prices

German uses a comma as the decimal separator, not a period. So a price written as 3,50 € is read as drei Euro fünfzig (three euros fifty), often shortened in speech to just drei fünfzig. The currency symbol usually follows the number. For the cents portion, you can either say the full word Cent or simply state the number after the euros, as native speakers commonly do.

Giving Phone Numbers

Germans typically read phone numbers in pairs of two digits, applying the flipped rule to each pair. So the sequence 34 67 would be spoken as vierunddreißig, siebenundsechzig (four-and-thirty, seven-and-sixty). If a number has an odd count of digits, the first digit is often read on its own. When in doubt, you can always read the digits individually one by one, which is perfectly acceptable and clearer for beginners.

Reading Years

Years before 2000 are traditionally split into two two-digit halves joined by hundert. So 1985 is neunzehnhundertfünfundachtzig (nineteen-hundred-five-and-eighty). From the year 2000 onward, Germans usually read the year as a full number, so 2024 is zweitausendvierundzwanzig (two-thousand-four-and-twenty). Getting comfortable with years is a great habit that builds the same momentum you would use with any fast, efficient language-learning routine.

Practical Tips for Memorizing German Numbers

The fastest way to internalize numbers is to use them in tiny daily doses. Count the steps as you climb a staircase, read prices aloud while shopping, or say the time whenever you check the clock. Because the flipped tens-and-units rule is the main source of errors, drill numbers between 21 and 99 more than any other range. Saying them out loud, rather than only reading them, trains your mouth and ear together so the compounds start to feel like single words. For extra motivation, you can even weave numbers into polite phrases you already use, such as counting the ways to say thank you in German. If you want a broader look at how German pronunciation and grammar fit together, the Goethe-Institut is the authoritative reference for German as a foreign language.

Frequently Asked Questions About German Numbers

Why do Germans say numbers backwards?

German is not really “backwards”; it simply keeps an older Germanic word order in which the units are spoken before the tens. So 21 is einundzwanzig, literally “one-and-twenty.” English once did the same thing, as you can still hear in the phrase “four and twenty blackbirds.” Only the two-digit part of a number flips; hundreds and thousands are read in the normal largest-to-smallest order.

Is it “eins” or “ein” for the number one?

You say eins when counting or stating the number on its own, such as reading a phone digit or answering “how many?” Inside compound numbers and before nouns, it changes to ein, as in einundzwanzig (twenty-one) or ein Buch (one book). The form ein can also take endings depending on gender and grammatical case.

How do I pronounce the German letter z in numbers?

In German, z is always pronounced like the “ts” in the English word “cats,” never like an English “z.” That is why zwei (two) sounds like “tsvy” and the -zig ending in the tens sounds like “tsig.” Getting this sound right instantly makes your counting sound far more natural.

What is the difference between German Million, Milliarde, and Billion?

These are classic false friends. In German, Million is a million, Milliarde is a billion (a thousand million), and Billion is a trillion. English speakers often mistranslate Milliarde as “million,” so pay close attention when large sums come up in news or finance.

How do I say a price like 4,99 € in German?

Since German uses a comma as the decimal point, 4,99 € is read as vier Euro neunundneunzig (four euros ninety-nine). In casual speech, people often shorten it to just vier neunundneunzig. The euro amount comes first, followed by the cents.

How long does it take to learn German numbers?

Most learners can memorize 0 to 20 in a day or two and become comfortable with the full 0 to 100 range within a week of short daily practice. The tens-and-units flip takes the longest to feel automatic, so focus your repetitions there. Regular speaking practice with a tutor accelerates the process dramatically.

Start Counting in German With Cognitio

Numbers are the perfect place to begin because you will use them every single day, and mastering the flipped tens-and-units rule early gives you a huge confidence boost. The quickest way to make these patterns stick is to say them out loud with someone who can correct your pronunciation in real time. Book a free trial lesson with a Cognitio German tutor and start counting, pricing, and dating like a native speaker from your very first session.