These German vocabulary words will help you describe the process of subtraction (taking one number away from another) and understand related concepts.
Core Vocabulary
These are the most important German words for subtraction — what it is, the main verb, and the concept of “difference.”
- Subtraktion — the formal noun for subtraction
- subtrahieren — to subtract
- differenz — difference (result of subtraction)
Here are the core subtraction words in German with examples:
- Subtraktion ist die Rechenart des Wegnehmens. (Subtraction is the arithmetic operation of taking away.)
- Wir subtrahieren fünf von zehn. (We subtract five from ten.)
- Die Differenz zwischen acht und drei ist fünf. (The difference between eight and three is five.)
Core Subtraction Vocabulary
German Singular | German Plural | English Singular | English Plural | German Example | English Example |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Subtraktion | Subtraktionen | subtraction | subtractions | Die Subtraktion ist eine Grundrechenart. | Subtraction is a basic arithmetic operation. |
Differenz | Differenzen | difference | differences | Die Differenz zwischen 10 und 4 ist 6. | The difference between 10 and 4 is 6. |
Minuend | Minuenden | minuend | minuends | Der Minuend ist die Zahl, von der etwas abgezogen wird. | The minuend is the number from which something is subtracted. |
Subtrahend | Subtrahenden | subtrahend | subtrahends | Der Subtrahend ist die Zahl, die abgezogen wird. | The subtrahend is the number that is subtracted. |
Verb Forms
The main verb is subtrahieren (to subtract). It is a regular verb but often appears in more formal or written contexts. In everyday speech, Germans typically use abziehen (take away, subtract). Here is the verb subtrahieren in the present tense, along with example sentences:
- Ich subtrahiere sieben von zwanzig. (I subtract seven from twenty.)
- Wir subtrahieren im Matheunterricht. (We subtract in math class.)
German Subtrahieren Verb Conjugation
Pronoun | German | English | German Example | English Example |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ich | subtrahiere | I subtract | Ich subtrahiere fünf von zehn. | I subtract five from ten. |
Du | subtrahierst | you subtract | Du subtrahierst zwei. | You subtract two. |
Er/Sie/Es | subtrahiert | he/she/it subtracts | Sie subtrahiert drei. | She subtracts three. |
Wir | subtrahieren | we subtract | Wir subtrahieren zusammen. | We subtract together. |
Ihr | subtrahiert | you (pl.) subtract | Ihr subtrahiert schnell. | You (pl.) subtract quickly. |
Sie | subtrahieren | they/you (formal) subtract | Sie subtrahieren richtig. | They/You (formal) subtract correctly. |
Common Phrases
Here are some standard German phrases you will see in math problems or explanations:
- Was ist zehn minus vier? (What is ten minus four?)
- Zwölf abziehen fünf gleich sieben. (Twelve minus five equals seven.)
- Die Differenz beträgt neun. (The difference is nine.)
German Common Subtraction Phrases
German | English | German Example | English Example |
---|---|---|---|
minus | minus (used in subtraction) | Acht minus drei ist fünf. | Eight minus three is five. |
abziehen | to subtract, take away | Zieh vier ab! | Subtract four! |
weniger | less | Zwei weniger als zehn sind acht. | Two less than ten is eight. |
Differenz | difference | Die Differenz ist vier. | The difference is four. |
ergibt | equals, results in | Sieben minus zwei ergibt fünf. | Seven minus two equals five. |
How do you say 'The difference is nine.' in German?
Die Differenz beträgt neun.
'Die Differenz beträgt neun.' means 'The difference is nine.'
Pronouns and Objects
In subtraction sentences, you often see pronouns like ich, du, wir along with objects that identify the numbers involved:
- Ich subtrahiere drei von acht. (I subtract three from eight.)
- Du ziehst fünf ab. (You take away five.)
- Wir berechnen die Differenz. (We calculate the difference.)
German Pronouns and Example Objects for Subtraction
Pronoun | German Example | English Example |
---|---|---|
Ich | Ich subtrahiere zwei von sieben. | I subtract two from seven. |
Du | Du ziehst drei ab. | You take away three. |
Er/Sie/Es | Er subtrahiert vier. | He subtracts four. |
Wir | Wir berechnen die Differenz. | We calculate the difference. |
Ihr | Ihr zieht sechs ab. | You (pl.) take away six. |
Sie | Sie subtrahieren zusammen. | They subtract together. |
Which German noun means 'subtrahend' (the number that is subtracted)?
Subtrahend
'Subtrahend' is the German term for the number that is subtracted.
Numbers
Subtraction problems use German numbers from eins (one) to zwanzig (twenty) and some common larger numbers:
- eins (1)
- zwei (2)
- drei (3)
- vier (4)
- fünf (5)
- zehn (10)
- zwanzig (20)
- dreißig (30)
- hundert (100)
German Numbers from 1 to
German | English | German Example | English Example |
---|---|---|---|
eins | one | eins minus null ist eins. | one minus zero is one. |
zwei | two | zwei minus eins ist eins. | two minus one is one. |
drei | three | drei minus zwei ist eins. | three minus two is one. |
vier | four | vier minus drei ist eins. | four minus three is one. |
fünf | five | fünf minus vier ist eins. | five minus four is one. |
sechs | six | sechs minus fünf ist eins. | six minus five is one. |
sieben | seven | sieben minus sechs ist eins. | seven minus six is one. |
acht | eight | acht minus sieben ist eins. | eight minus seven is one. |
neun | nine | neun minus acht ist eins. | nine minus eight is one. |
zehn | ten | zehn minus neun ist eins. | ten minus nine is one. |
Summary
- Die Subtraktion ist das Wegnehmen einer Zahl von einer anderen.
- Man subtrahiert (oder man zieht ab).
- Die Antwort nennt man Differenz.
- Beispiel: Zehn minus vier ist sechs.
Subtraction in German is straightforward once you learn the verbs (subtrahieren, abziehen), the key nouns (Subtraktion, Differenz), and the patterns for expressing “minus” and “equals.” Practice with simple sentences, and you’ll build confidence!
Flashcards (1 of 31)
- English Singular: subtraction
- English Plural: subtractions
- English Example: Subtraction is a basic arithmetic operation.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025