Cardinal numbers

Grundzahlen

Used for counting, stating costs, hours, years and in equations. Cardinal numbers answer the following questions: wie viel? (how much?) and wie viele? (how many?).

Construction of cardinal numbers

Cardinal numbers are written in lower case
  • Translation
  • two
  • Translation
  • five
Numerals in noun form, millions, and billions

Millions, billions, and numerals in noun form are capitalized. Besides that, they are always feminine.

  • Translation
  • number two
  • Translation
  • a five
  • Translation
  • million
The numbers from 1 to 12

The numbers from 1 to 12 are irregular and have to be learned by heart: eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf, sechs, acht, neun, zehn, elf, zwölf.

The numbers from 13 to 19

The numbers 13 to 19 are formed by combining the number from 3 to 9 with the number 10 (zehn). The exception is the number 7 (in which case we drop the -en ending from sieben).

Multiples of ten from 20 up to 90.

The numbers 20, 30 (exception: dreißig dreizig), 40, 50, 60, 70 (exception: siebzig siebenzig), 80, 90 are formed by combining the number ten with the suffix -zig.

Numbers 21-29, 31-39, 41-49, ... , 91-99

We create the numbers 21-29, 31-39, 41-49, ..., 91-99 starting from the number of ones, which we then combine using the word und with the number of tens, e.g. einundzwanzig.

Hundreds and thousands
Combining hundreds and units

In the case of hundreds and units, we may or may not combine the number of hundreds with the number of tens using the word und.

  • Translation
  • 257
  • Translation
  • 205
Hundreds and thousands are combined without using the word und
  • Translation
  • 2300
Numerals starting with ein

For hundreds and thousands, the word ein can be omitted if it is at the beginning of the numeral.

  • Translation
  • 100
  • Translation
  • 1111
Hundreds, thousands, millions, ... ending with 1

When writing in words, a number that consists of hundreds, thousands, millions and has 1 as the number of units , e.g. 101, 501, 2001, 1 000 001 we put an eins at the end.

  • Translation
  • 101
  • Translation
  • 2001
Declension of the numeral ein

When the numeral ein precedes a noun, it is inflected like an indefinite article.

Nominativ Genitiv Dativ Akkusativ
Maskulinum ein Mann eines Mannes einem Mann einen Mann
Femininum eine Frau einer Frau einer Frau eine Frau
Neutrum ein Kind eines Kindes einem Kind ein Kind
The table presents some sample cardinal numbers
# Numeral
1 eins
2 zwei
3 drei
4 vier
5 fünf
6 sechs
7 sieben
8 acht
9 neun
10 zehn
11 elf
12 zwölf
13 dreizehn
14 vierzehn
15 fünfzehn
16 sechzehn
17 siebzehn
18 achtzehn
19 neunzehn
20 zwanzig
21 einundzwanzig
22 zweiundzwanzig
30 dreißig
40 vierzig
50 fünfzig
60 sechzig
70 siebzig
80 achtzig
90 neunzig
100 (ein)hundert
101 (ein)hundert(und)eins
201 zweihundert(und)eins
500 fünfhundert
1000 (ein)tausend
1001 (ein)tausend(und)eins
2000 zweitausend
1 000 000 eine Million
1 500 000 eine Million fünfhunderttausend
1 000 000 000 eine Milliarde
1 000 000 000 000 eine Billion

Cardinal numbers and their applications

Describing quantity
  • Translation
  • I have three cars.
Describing cost
  • Translation
  • It costs twenty euros.
Expressing hours
  • Translation
  • I am going/driving to Berlin at five.
  • Translation
  • eleven thirty
Expressing years

The years up to 1999 are expressed in hundreds, and the years from 2000 are expressed as cardinal numbers.

Describing equations
  • Translation
  • Turnover increased by fifteen percent.
  • Translation
  • Ten divided by five equals two.
  • Translation
  • Two times two equals four.