Counting & Ordinals
Counting and ordinal numbers are foundational for giving dates, times, prices, and rankings. This guide goes through the basic cardinals, ordinals, and useful expressions.
Cardinal Numbers
Cardinal numbers tell how many and are used for amounts, phone numbers, and more. Learn the first twenty and the key round tens.
| German Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| null | zero |
| eins | one |
| zwei | two |
| drei | three |
| vier | four |
| fünf | five |
| sechs | six |
| sieben | seven |
| acht | eight |
| neun | nine |
| zehn | ten |
| elf | eleven |
| zwölf | twelve |
| dreizehn | thirteen |
| vierzehn | fourteen |
| fünfzehn | fifteen |
| sechzehn | sixteen |
| siebzehn | seventeen |
| achtzehn | eighteen |
| neunzehn | nineteen |
| zwanzig | twenty |
| dreißig | thirty |
| vierzig | forty |
| fünfzig | fifty |
| German Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| ☕ Ich nehme drei Kaffee. | I’ll have three coffees. |
| 🥐 Wir haben fünf Croissants. | We have five croissants. |
| 🚶♂️ Sehen Sie zehn Leute im Park? | Do you see ten people in the park? |
| 🍰 Sieben Stück Kuchen, bitte. | Seven pieces of cake, please. |
| 🧺 Ich kaufe zwei Kilo Äpfel. | I’m buying two kilos of apples. |
Ordinal Numbers
Ordinals show position or rank, like first, second, or twentieth. They are used for dates, floors, and sequences. In German, ordinals for numbers 1–19 typically add -te and from 20 onward add -ste.
| English Word(s) | German Word(s) |
|---|---|
| first | erster / erste / erstes |
| second | zweiter / zweite / zweites |
| third | dritter / dritte / drittes |
| fourth | vierter / vierte / viertes |
| fifth | fünfter / fünfte / fünftes |
| sixth | sechster / sechste / sechstes |
| seventh | siebter / siebte / siebtes |
| eighth | achter / achte / achtes |
| ninth | neunter / neunte / neuntes |
| tenth | zehnter / zehnte / zehntes |
| twentieth | zwanzigster / zwanzigste / zwanzigstes |
| thirty-first | einunddreißigster / einunddreißigste / einunddreißigstes |
| German Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| ☝️ Der erste Kaffee war sehr gut. | The first coffee was very good. |
| ✌️ Wir saßen am zweiten Tisch von vorne. | We sat at the second table from the front. |
| 🔢 Heute ist der dritte Tag meines Urlaubs. | Today is the third day of my vacation. |
| 🥇 Sie belegte den ersten Platz im Rennen. | She took first place in the race. |
| 🗓️ Das nächste Treffen ist am fünften Mai. | The next meeting is on the fifth of May. |
Using Ordinals
Ordinals agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify. When an ordinal is used as a noun, it can take an ending and sometimes appears with the definite article.
| German Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🏨 Ich habe ein Zimmer im dritten Stock. | I have a room on the third floor. |
| 🛣️ Nehmen Sie die zweite Straße links. | Take the second street on the left. |
| 🎟️ Unsere Plätze sind in der vierten Reihe. | Our seats are in the fourth row. |
| 📚 Das Buch steht im ersten Regal. | The book is on the first shelf. |
| 🏫 Die Klasse beginnt am achten. | The class starts on the eighth. |
Useful Expressions
Cardinals and ordinals appear in set phrases for time, price, and order. Learn how to say "the first of May," "at ten o'clock," and similar expressions.
| German Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🕒 Es ist halb drei. | It is half past two. |
| ⏰ Der Zug kommt in fünf Minuten. | The train arrives in five minutes. |
| 🔢 Ich lerne die Zahlen von eins bis zwanzig. | I am learning the numbers from one to twenty. |
| 📍 Der Markt ist am dritten Tag der Woche. | The market is on the third day of the week. |
| 💬 Kannst du das bitte noch einmal sagen? | Can you say that once more, please? |
Summary
Cardinal numbers tell how many and ordinals tell position or rank. Ordinals in German add -te or -ste and must match the noun in gender and case.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025