German for Beginners
Lesson 8
German Numbers and Counting (2)
Die Zahlen und zählen (21-100)
German Numbers: 0-20 > 21-100 > 101 and above
In our previous lesson, we introduced you to the German numbers from 0 to 20. Now it's time to expand to "higher" math — from 21 (einundzwanzig) to 100 (hundert). Once you have a grasp of the twenties, the rest of the numbers up to 100 and beyond are similar and easy to learn. You'll also be using many of the numbers you learned from zero (null) to 20.
Numbers are everywhere!
The author and his camera
are seen reflected in the
window of a German ICE
high-speed train in the
Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof.
Do you know what the
numbers on the right mean?
Foto © Hyde Flippo
For numbers above (ein)hundert, the pattern just repeats itself. The number 125 is hundertfünfundzwanzig. To say 215 in German, you simply put zwei in front of hundert to make zweihundertfünfzehn. Three hundred is dreihundert and so on. (For more about the numbers above 100, see our German Numbers page.)
Wie viel? / Wie viele?
To ask "how much" you say wie viel. To ask "how many" you say wie viele. For example, a simple math problem would be: Wie viel ist drei und vier? (How much is three and four?). To ask "how many cars" you would say: Wie viele Autos?, as in Wie viele Autos hat Karl? (How many cars does Karl have?).
After you go over the number charts below... If you hear a number above 20 in German, can you write it down? Can you do simple math in German? — After you've learned the numbers from 21-100, try the related number exercises to check your mastery. You may particularly enjoy our special Foto-Übung for the numbers!
AUDIO
Hören Sie zu! Listen to the numbers in German! (below)
Die Zahlen 20-100 (by tens)
| 20 zwanzig | 70 siebzig |
| 30 dreißig | 80 achtzig |
| 40 vierzig | 90 neunzig |
| 50 fünfzig | 100 hundert * |
| 60 sechzig | * or einhundert |
Note: The number sechzig (60) drops the s in sechs. The number siebzig (70) drops the en in sieben. The number dreißig (30) is the only one of the tens that doesn't end with -zig. (dreißig = dreissig)
AUDIO Listen to the numbers above. RealAudio.
AUDIO ALL Listening Exercises for Numbers
Die Zahlen 21-30
| 21 einundzwanzig | 26 sechsundzwanzig |
| 22 zweiundzwanzig | 27 siebenundzwanzig |
| 23 dreiundzwanzig | 28 achtundzwanzig |
| 24 vierundzwanzig | 29 neunundzwanzig |
| 25 fünfundzwanzig | 30 dreißig |
Note: The number dreißig (30) is the only one of the tens that doesn't end with -zig.
AUDIO Hören Sie zu! The numbers 21-30 in German! RealAudio.
AUDIO All Listening Exercises for the Numbers
Die Zahlen 31-40
| 31 einunddreißig | 36 sechsunddreißig |
| 32 zweiunddreißig | 37 siebenunddreißig |
| 33 dreiunddreißig | 38 achtunddreißig |
| 34 vierunddreißig | 39 neununddreißig |
| 35 fünfunddreißig | 40 vierzig |
EXERCISES > Practice Your Numbers for this lesson
AUDIO Hören Sie zu! Numbers 31-40 in German! RealAudio.
AUDIO All Listening Exercises for the Numbers
Die Zahlen 41-100 (selected numbers)
| 41 einundvierzig | 86 sechsundachtzig |
| 42 zweiundvierzig | 87 siebenundachtzig |
| 53 dreiundfünfzig | 98 achtundneunzig |
| 64 vierundsechzig | 99 neunundneunzig |
| 75 fünfundsiebzig | 100 hundert |
NEXT > Exercises for this Lesson - Practice!
Also see: How to Tell Time in German and German Numbers (all the numbers in German)
Date and Time Glossary
An annotated English-German glossary of date and time words/expressions.
German Numbers: 0-20 > 21-100 > 101 and above
Previous Lesson (Lektion 7)
Next Lesson (Lektion 9)
German for Beginners - Contents
German Numbers
A detailed table of the numbers in German — ordinal, cardinal, fractions, dates, etc.
More Related Links
How to Tell Time in German
A step-by-step guide to telling time in German.
German for Beginners - Contents
Date and Time Glossary
An annotated English-German glossary of date and time words/expressions.
English-German Glossaries
All of the annotated glossaries on this site - from aerospace to travel.
German Grammar
All of the grammar resources on this site.
Tutor Directory
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Answer to the Number Question (PHOTO above)
The numbers on this German ICE train are similar to those found on most European trains. The large 2 indicates this is a second class car (rather than first class). The cigarette symbol also indicates it is a Nichtraucherwagen (a no-smoking car). The smaller numbers (11-68) are the seat numbers, important if you have reserved seats (a good idea during the crowded summer travel season). By the way, the pointy-topped building in the background is the Messeturm or Trade Fair Tower - now Frankfurt's second tallest skyscraper (Wolkenkratzer).
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