This guide covers how to count in German and form ordinal numbers, with useful examples and key vocabulary.
Cardinal Numbers
Cardinal numbers give quantity and are used for counting things like objects and people.
Numbers 1 to 20
These fundamental numbers appear everywhere in daily life, from prices to time.
| German Number | English Number | German Number | English Number | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eins | one | elf | eleven | |
| zwei | two | zwölf | twelve | |
| drei | three | dreizehn | thirteen | |
| vier | four | vierzehn | fourteen | |
| fünf | five | fünfzehn | fifteen | |
| sechs | six | sechzehn | sixteen | |
| sieben | seven | siebzehn | seventeen | |
| acht | eight | achtzehn | eighteen | |
| neun | nine | neunzehn | nineteen | |
| zehn | ten | zwanzig | twenty |
Tens and Larger Numbers
Numbers beyond 20 follow predictable patterns, making it easy to form them once you know the tens.
| German Number | English Number | German Number | English Number | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| zwanzig | twenty | einhundert | one hundred | |
| dreißig | thirty | tausend | one thousand | |
| vierzig | forty | hunderttausend | one hundred thousand | |
| fünfzig | fifty | eine Million | one million | |
| sechzig | sixty | |||
| siebzig | seventy | |||
| achtzig | eighty | |||
| neunzig | ninety |
Ordinal Numbers
Ordinals show position or order, such as first, second, and third, and are used for dates, rankings, and instructions.
Forming Ordinals
Ordinals are typically formed by adding -te or -ste to the cardinal number, and they take endings when used as adjectives.
| German Ordinal | English Ordinal | German Ordinal | English Ordinal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| erste | first | elfte | eleventh | |
| zweite | second | zwölfte | twelfth | |
| dritte | third | hundertste | hundredth | |
| vierte | fourth | tausendste | thousandth | |
| fünfte | fifth | |||
| sechste | sixth | |||
| siebte | seventh | |||
| achte | eighth | |||
| neunte | ninth | |||
| zehnte | tenth |
Ordinals in Dates
In spoken German, dates can use ordinals for the day of the month, and the month is given in the nominative.
Vocabulary
Key words for counting, measuring, and describing amounts help make numbers practical in everyday German.
| German Word | English Word | German Word | English Word | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anzahl | number | Menge | amount | |
| Hälfte | half | Prozent | percent | |
| Paar | couple / pair | Dutzend | dozen | |
| mehr | more | weniger | less | |
| Summe | total / sum | Durchschnitt | average |
Summary
German cardinal numbers are used for counting and ordinals for position; ordinals add -te/-ste and take endings when adjectival.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025