German Numbers 1–100: Pronunciation, Rules & Audio

German numbers become much easier once you stop trying to memorize all 100 of them.

You mainly need to learn 0–20, the tens such as zwanzig and dreißig, and one important rule: from 21 onward, German normally puts the ones digit before the tens.

So 21 is not built like “twenty-one.” German builds it as:

ein + und + zwanzig

That gives you:

21 = einundzwanzig

Once that pattern makes sense, you can build numbers such as 34, 58, and 97 without memorizing each one separately.

This guide teaches that system, gives you a complete German numbers 0–100 chart with audio, and shows how numbers are actually used for prices, time, dates, years, and phone numbers.

German Numbers at a Glance

The most useful numbers to memorize first are:

You do not need to memorize 21 through 99 individually. Most of them follow the same construction rule.

How German Numbers 21–99 Work

This is the most important rule in this guide.

English says:

twenty-one

German essentially builds the number as:

one-and-twenty

The pattern is:

ones + und + tens

For example:

German writes these compound numbers as one word.

So:

vier und dreißig ❌

vierunddreißig ✓

Why Is 21 Einundzwanzig and Not Einsundzwanzig?

When the number 1 stands by itself, you use:

eins

But when 1 becomes part of a compound number such as 21, 31, or 41, the final s disappears:

21 → einundzwanzig

31 → einunddreißig

41 → einundvierzig

This small change appears throughout the German number system, so it is useful to learn it early.

Five German Numbers Beginners Often Get Wrong

Most German numbers follow predictable patterns, but five forms deserve special attention.

For example:

6 = sechs

but:

60 = sechzig

And:

7 = sieben

but:

70 = siebzig

These shortened forms also appear inside larger numbers:

67 = siebenundsechzig

74 = vierundsiebzig

If you memorize these five forms, the rest of 21–99 becomes much more predictable.

German Numbers 0–20 With Audio

Use the audio button to hear each number. Listening to the real pronunciation is more useful than trying to reproduce German sounds from English spelling.

German Numbers 21–100 With Audio

Now apply the ones + und + tens pattern.

German Numbers Above 100

Once you reach 100, German remains systematic.

Notice what happens at Million.

Smaller German compound numbers are normally written together, while Million is a noun and is written separately.

You therefore get:

zweitausendsechsundzwanzig

but:

eine Million

How to Say Prices in German

Numbers become useful very quickly when buying food, tickets, clothes, or anything else.

German normally uses a decimal comma where English often uses a decimal point.

For example:

9,99 €

A German speaker may say:

Das kostet neun Euro neunundneunzig

That means:

It costs €9.99.

Other useful examples:

1 € → ein Euro

2 € → zwei Euro

1,50 € → ein Euro fünfzig

Notice that you say:

ein Euro

not:

eins Euro

You may also hear prices without explicitly saying Euro and Cent when the context is obvious.

For example, a shop worker saying:

neun neunundneunzig

may be understood from context as 9,99 €.

How to Tell Time With German Numbers

German timetables, train schedules, appointment systems, and other official contexts commonly use the 24-hour clock.

For example:

14:30

can be expressed as:

vierzehn Uhr dreißig

A useful question is:

Wie spät ist es

“What time is it?”

A straightforward answer can be:

Es ist vierzehn Uhr dreißig

“It is 2:30 PM.”

Everyday spoken German can also use expressions involving halb, Viertel nach, and Viertel vor, so conversational time may sound different from the numbers you see printed on a timetable.

The important first step is being able to recognize the numbers quickly when you hear them.

Dates and Years in German

A common written German date format is:

10.03.2026

When dates are spoken, German uses ordinal forms.

For example:

der zehnte März

means:

“the tenth of March.”

Years are another useful place to practice larger German numbers.

For example:

2026 → zweitausendsechsundzwanzig

You can break it into parts:

zweitausend + sechsundzwanzig

Once you understand the smaller-number rules, longer numbers become much easier to decode.

German Phone Numbers

Phone numbers are normally communicated digit by digit or in manageable groups instead of being treated as one enormous number.

For example:

0176 12345678

can begin:

null eins sieben sechs

followed by the remaining digits in groups.

This is one reason learning 0–9 by sound is especially important.

Recognizing sieben instantly when somebody speaks is more useful in a real phone number than simply remembering that it means 7 when you see it written.

You may also occasionally hear zwo instead of zwei, especially when a speaker wants to make the number 2 particularly clear.

Common Mistakes With German Numbers

Using English Word Order

English says:

twenty-four

German says:

vierundzwanzig

Not:

zwanzigvier

For most numbers from 21–99, remember:

ones + und + tens

Saying Einsundzwanzig

The correct form is:

einundzwanzig

The final s from eins disappears when 1 is used in compound numbers such as 21, 31, and 41.

Writing Compound Numbers as Separate Words

Incorrect:

fünf und vierzig

Correct:

fünfundvierzig

For ordinary compound numbers in this range, German joins the parts into one written word.

Forgetting the Irregular Tens

Pay special attention to:

dreißig

sechzig

siebzig

They do not follow the most obvious spelling pattern.

Confusing Sechs With Sechzig

Compare:

sechs = 6

sechzig = 60

The final s disappears in sechzig.

Confusing Sieben With Siebzig

Compare:

sieben = 7

siebzig = 70

The ending -en disappears.

Learning the Spelling but Not the Sound

Recognizing siebenundvierzig on a page is different from understanding it immediately when someone tells you that your train leaves from platform 47.

Use the audio buttons above and sometimes practice without looking at the written number first.

Practice German Numbers

Try to build each number before checking the answer.

24

Start with:

vier + und + zwanzig

Answer:

vierundzwanzig

37

Start with:

sieben + und + dreißig

Answer:

siebenunddreißig

56

Start with:

sechs + und + fünfzig

Answer:

sechsundfünfzig

71

Start with:

ein + und + siebzig

Answer:

einundsiebzig

98

Start with:

acht + und + neunzig

Answer:

achtundneunzig

Now reverse the exercise.

What numbers do these German words represent?

zweiundvierzig

fünfundsechzig

dreiundsiebzig

neunundachtzig

The answers are:

42, 65, 73, 89

A Simple Way to Memorize German Numbers

Do not try to memorize a list of 100 unrelated words.

Learn the number system in four stages.

Stage 1: Learn 0–12

These are your foundation words.

Pay particular attention to:

eins

zwei

drei

fünf

sechs

sieben

acht

zwölf

They appear repeatedly when larger numbers are constructed.

Stage 2: Learn 13–20

Learn how -zehn works and memorize the special forms:

sechzehn

siebzehn

Stage 3: Learn the Tens

Memorize:

zwanzig

dreißig

vierzig

fünfzig

sechzig

siebzig

achtzig

neunzig

Pay special attention to:

dreißig

sechzig

siebzig

Stage 4: Build Random Numbers

Do not always practice:

21, 22, 23, 24, 25.

That can turn into sequence memorization.

Instead, challenge yourself with random numbers:

43 → dreiundvierzig

68 → achtundsechzig

91 → einundneunzig

57 → siebenundfünfzig

82 → zweiundachtzig

This forces you to understand the construction rule rather than simply remembering a list.

Listen for the Number From Right to Left

German two-digit numbers can initially be confusing because English-speaking learners often expect the tens digit first.

Suppose you hear:

achtundfünfzig

Break it into:

acht + und + fünfzig

That gives you:

8 + and + 50

So the number is:

58

Try the same method with:

dreiundsiebzig

Break it into:

drei + und + siebzig

That gives you:

3 + and + 70

So the answer is:

73

This mental decomposition becomes faster with practice until you no longer need to consciously translate the parts.

German Numbers in Everyday Life

Numbers appear constantly in ordinary German.

You may need them when:

• asking how much something costs
• understanding a train platform
• hearing a departure time
• giving your phone number
• saying your age
• making an appointment
• reading a street address
• talking about a date
• saying a year
• ordering more than one item
• understanding room or apartment numbers

This is why number listening practice is just as important as memorizing the written forms.

If somebody says achtundvierzig, you eventually want to recognize 48 immediately rather than mentally translating each part.

FAQ About German Numbers

Why Are German Numbers Backwards?

German numbers from 21–99 generally put the ones digit before the tens digit. For example, 24 is vierundzwanzig, which is structured like “four-and-twenty.” Once you learn the ones + und + tens pattern, you can construct most two-digit numbers yourself.

What Is the Difference Between Ein and Eins?

Use eins when the number 1 stands by itself, such as when counting. Ein appears in compound numbers such as einundzwanzig and before nouns in expressions such as ein Euro.

Why Is 16 Sechzehn Instead of Sechszehn?

The base word sechs loses its final s when forming sechzehn. The same shortening appears in sechzig for 60.

Why Is 17 Siebzehn Instead of Siebenzehn?

The base word sieben loses -en, giving you siebzehn. The same shortening appears in siebzig for 70.

Why Is 30 Dreißig?

Thirty is dreißig, using ß rather than the normal -zig ending found in numbers such as vierzig and fünfzig. It is one of the forms worth memorizing separately.

Do Germans Use Commas for Decimals?

Yes. German normally uses a decimal comma, so 9,99 € corresponds to €9.99 in English-style notation.

Is 100 Hundert or Einhundert?

Both hundert and einhundert are used for 100. You will encounter both forms.

How Do You Say 1,000 in German?

1,000 can be tausend or eintausend. For example, 2,000 is zweitausend.

How Do You Say 21 in German?

21 is einundzwanzig.

It follows the German pattern:

ein + und + zwanzig

How Do You Say 45 in German?

45 is:

fünfundvierzig

It is built from:

fünf + und + vierzig

How Do You Say 99 in German?

99 is:

neunundneunzig

It follows the same:

ones + und + tens

pattern.

What Is the Fastest Way to Learn German Numbers?

Memorize 0–20 and the tens first. Then practice constructing random numbers from 21–99 using the ones + und + tens rule.

Listening practice is important too because recognizing a written number is easier than understanding one immediately in conversation.

What to Learn Next

German numbers become easier when you can confidently recognize German sounds.

If sounds such as z, w, ch, ü, and ö still feel unfamiliar, continue with our German alphabet and pronunciation guide.

You can also practice common German word forms with our German plural rules guide.

The key lesson is simple:

You do not need to memorize 100 unrelated German numbers.

Learn 0–20, memorize the tens, understand ones + und + tens, and pay extra attention to sechzehn, siebzehn, dreißig, sechzig, and siebzig.

Then use the audio above until you can recognize the numbers by sound as well as by sight.

References

• Goethe-Institut
• DIN 5008-style number writing examples