German Numbers: Pronunciation, Dates, Prices and Phone Numbers
German numbers are not difficult to learn, but they have a few patterns that trip learners up — especially in real-life situations like hearing a price, taking down a phone number or saying a date. Getting numbers wrong causes real problems, because a misheard price or wrong date affects an actual transaction or appointment.
This guide covers what you need to hear and say numbers confidently in everyday German.
1 to 20 — learn these by heart
| Number | German | Pronunciation note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | eins | /aɪns/ — standalone; ein before nouns |
| 2 | zwei | /tsvaɪ/ — often said “zwo” on the phone to avoid confusion with drei |
| 3 | drei | /draɪ/ |
| 4 | vier | /fiːr/ |
| 5 | fünf | /fʏnf/ — don’t drop the final -f |
| 6 | sechs | /zɛks/ |
| 7 | sieben | /ˈziːbn̩/ — two syllables |
| 8 | acht | /axt/ |
| 9 | neun | /nɔɪn/ |
| 10 | zehn | /tseːn/ |
| 11 | elf | /ɛlf/ |
| 12 | zwölf | /tsvœlf/ |
| 13 | dreizehn | /ˈdraɪtseːn/ |
| 14 | vierzehn | /ˈfɪrtseːn/ |
| 15 | fünfzehn | /ˈfʏnftseːn/ |
| 16 | sechzehn | /ˈzɛçtseːn/ — the -s- of sechs drops |
| 17 | siebzehn | /ˈziːptseːn/ — not sieben but sieb- |
| 18 | achtzehn | /ˈaxtseːn/ |
| 19 | neunzehn | /ˈnɔɪntseːn/ |
| 20 | zwanzig | /ˈtsvantsɪç/ |
Tricky ones: 16 is sechzehn (not sechszehn), 17 is siebzehn (not siebenzehn). These are the most common mistakes.
21 to 99 — the reverse order rule
German reverses the order of tens and units: unit + und + ten.
- 21 = einundzwanzig (one-and-twenty)
- 34 = vierunddreißig (four-and-thirty)
- 58 = achtundfünfzig (eight-and-fifty)
- 99 = neunundneunzig (nine-and-ninety)
The unit always comes first. There is no pause or space in speech — it’s one compound word.
30 to 90:
– 30 = dreißig (note: not dreizig, but dreißig)
– 40 = vierzig
– 50 = fünfzig
– 60 = sechzig (not sechszig)
– 70 = siebzig (not siebenzig)
– 80 = achtzig
– 90 = neunzig
100 and above
- 100 = hundert (or einhundert)
- 200 = zweihundert
- 1,000 = tausend (or eintausend)
- 1,500 = (ein)tausendfünfhundert
- 10,000 = zehntausend
- 100,000 = hunderttausend
- 1,000,000 = eine Million
For compound numbers above 100, the structure is: hundreds + rest:
– 325 = dreihundertfünfundzwanzig
– 1,987 = eintausendneunhundertsiebenundachtzig
These are said as one long word in German, which is why they feel overwhelming at first — but the parts are just stacked together.
German decimal notation
German uses a comma where English uses a decimal point, and a full stop (or space) where English uses a comma to separate thousands:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| 3,5 | 3.5 |
| 1.000 | 1,000 |
| 1.234.567 | 1,234,567 |
| 2,99 € | €2.99 |
This matters in real life: if a price says 3,99 in German, it is three euros and ninety-nine cents.
Prices
Prices are said with the currency at the end:
– Das kostet drei Euro neunundneunzig. (It costs 3.99 euros.)
– Das macht acht Euro fünfzig. (That comes to 8.50.)
– Fünfzig Cent. (Fifty cents.)
– Zweihundert Euro. (Two hundred euros.)
When paying, you often say the amount you hand over:
– Hier sind zwanzig Euro. (Here are twenty euros.)
– Ich zahle mit Karte. (I’m paying by card.)
– Stimmt so. (Keep the change — literally “that’s right”)
Useful tip: Germans often round prices to a round number and tell the cashier how much they want to pay: Machen Sie dreißig daraus (make it thirty).
Telephone numbers
German phone numbers are usually read in pairs or groups:
– 030 / 12 34 56 → null dreißig / zwölf vierunddreißig sechsundfünfzig
– +49 89 123 456 → plus neunundvierzig / neunundachtzig / eins zwei drei / vier fünf sechs
Key points:
– Null = 0 (not nought or oh)
– Zwei is often said as zwo on the phone to avoid confusion with drei — you’ll hear this constantly
– Area codes (Vorwahl) are often read as a block (null dreißig), but digit by digit (null drei null) is just as common
To give your number:
– Meine Nummer ist 0176 zwölf vierunddreißig sechsundfünfzig.
To ask for a number:
– Können Sie mir Ihre Telefonnummer geben?
– Wie ist Ihre Nummer?
– Buchstabieren Sie das bitte. (Please spell that.) — for names, not numbers
Practise your German out loud with SipLingo, free to try on iPhone and Android:
Dates
German dates use ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd etc.) and follow the order: day, month, year.
Written:
– 5.3.2024 = the fifth of March 2024
– 21.10. = the twenty-first of October
Spoken:
– Der fünfte März zweitausendvierundzwanzig
– Am einundzwanzigsten Oktober (on the twenty-first of October)
Ordinal numbers in German add -te (up to 19th) or -ste (20th onwards):
– 1. = erste (der erste März)
– 2. = zweite
– 3. = dritte (irregular)
– 7. = siebte (the longer siebente exists but is rare)
– 8. = achte (irregular — not achtte)
– 20. = zwanzigste
– 21. = einundzwanzigste
Common date phrases:
– Wann ist Ihr Geburtstag? (When is your birthday?)
– Ich bin am dritten Juli geboren. (I was born on the third of July.)
– Das Treffen ist am Montag, dem zwölften März. (The meeting is on Monday, the twelfth of March.)
– Heute ist der vierundzwanzigste. (Today is the twenty-fourth.)
Years
Years from 1100 to 1999 are read in two pairs:
– 1985 = neunzehnhundertfünfundachtzig (nineteen hundred eighty-five)
– 1776 = siebzehnhundertsechsundsiebzig
From 2000 onwards:
– 2000 = zweitausend
– 2004 = zweitausendvier
– 2024 = zweitausendvierundzwanzig
Common mistakes
1. Confusing zwei and drei on the phone. Say zwo instead of zwei on calls where clarity matters.
2. Getting 16, 17, 60, 70 wrong. Remember: sechzehn/siebzehn (drop the -s and -en), sechzig/siebzig (same).
3. Reversing units and tens in English order. 34 is vierunddreißig, not dreißigvier.
4. Misreading German commas and points. 3,5 is three point five; 3.500 is three thousand five hundred.
5. Saying Null wrong. It is pronounced /nʊl/, not /nʌl/ (English “null”) or “oh”.
6. Mixing up ordinals for dates. The 3rd is der dritte (not der dreite), the 7th is usually siebte, and the 8th is achte, not achtte.
Practise with real situations
Numbers in German feel fine on a list. They feel different at full speed when a cashier says das macht dreiundvierzig Euro zwanzig and you are expected to respond immediately.
SipLingo includes shopping, appointment and daily conversation scenarios where numbers come up at natural speed. You practice by voice and get corrected when you say a price or date wrong. Try it free →
Related: At the pharmacy in German for practical number use, and ordering at a restaurant in German for prices in context.
Official sources
For the official details and the latest updates, see:
- Goethe-Institut: Goethe free online pronunciation trainer – Free phonetics training with listening, speaking feedback and tests, all levels
Frequently asked questions
How do you say numbers in German?
1–12 are individual words. 13–19 add -zehn. 21–99 reverse order: unit + und + ten (vierundZWANZIG = 24). From 100: hundert, tausend, Million.
Why do Germans say “zwo” instead of “zwei”?
To avoid confusion with drei (three) on phone calls, where the two words can sound similar through line noise. Zwo is the older form of two and is still used this way.
How do you say dates in German?
Day first, then month, then year: der dritte Mai (the third of May). In text: 3.5. or 03.05.
How do German phone numbers work?
Read in pairs or groups, with null for zero. Area codes first. Zwo replaces zwei for clarity.
What is the difference between a comma and a point in German numbers?
German uses a comma for decimals (3,5 = 3.5 in English) and a point or space to separate thousands (1.000 = 1,000).
Practise German numbers in real-life situations. SipLingo corrects your German as you talk, in your own language. A1 to B2.
