German Numbers: Learn Numbers in German from 0 to 1 Billion

German Numbers: Learn How to Count in German with Clear Patterns

German numbers may look long at first, but they follow very logical patterns. Once you understand the small building blocks, you can form numbers from 0 to 100, then 100 to 1,000, and even larger numbers such as eine Million and eine Milliarde.

In this lesson, you will learn the most important German numbers step by step. You will also see how German numbers are used in real situations, such as saying your age, reading large numbers, and understanding the difference between English and German number formatting.

If you prefer learning visually, watch the video lesson below first, then use the article to review the patterns and practice with examples.

What You Will Learn in This German Numbers Lesson

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• count from 0 to 20 in German;
• understand how German numbers from 21 to 99 are formed;
• use German numbers from 100 to 1,000;
• form larger numbers with tausend, Million, and Milliarde;
• ask and answer the question Wie alt bist du?;
• avoid common mistakes with German number order and spelling.

Learning tip: Do not try to memorize every German number separately. Learn the patterns. German numbers become much easier when you understand how they are built.

German Numbers from 0 to 10

The numbers from 0 to 10 are the foundation of almost all other German numbers. Many larger numbers are created by combining these basic words with words like zehn, zig, hundert, or tausend.

Practice: Count from 0 to 10 in German

Read these numbers aloud slowly:

null, eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf, sechs, sieben, acht, neun, zehn

Repeat them several times. Your goal is not only to recognize the words, but also to say them naturally.

German Numbers from 11 to 20

The numbers 11 and 12 are special in German, just like in English. After that, most numbers from 13 to 19 are formed with the ending -zehn, which is connected to the number 10.

Common mistake: Do not say sechszehn for 16 or siebenzehn for 17. The correct forms are sechzehn and siebzehn.

German Tens: 20, 30, 40, 50 and More

To form the tens in German, you usually take the basic number and add a form of -zig. This is similar to English numbers like twenty, thirty, forty, and fifty.

Notice the special spelling of dreißig. It uses ß, not z. Also notice that 60 and 70 are shortened: sechzig, not sechszig, and siebzig, not siebenzig.

German Numbers from 21 to 99: The Important Pattern

This is one of the most important patterns in German numbers. In English, we say “twenty-one.” In German, the order is reversed: German says “one and twenty.”

The pattern is:

ones + und + tens

This structure can feel unusual for English speakers, but it becomes easier with practice. Try to think in German order instead of translating directly from English.

Remember: For 21, 31, 41, 51, 61, 71, 81, and 91, German uses ein, not eins. For example: einundzwanzig, not einsundzwanzig.

How to Say Your Age in German

German numbers become more useful when you use them in real sentences. One of the easiest ways to practice is by talking about age.

How to ask “How old are you?” in German

Wie alt bist du?

This means “How old are you?”

• wie = how
• alt = old
• bist = are
• du = you

How to answer

The basic answer pattern is:

Ich bin + number + Jahre alt.

Examples:

• Ich bin vierundzwanzig Jahre alt. — I am 24 years old.
• Ich bin achtundvierzig Jahre alt. — I am 48 years old.
• Meine Mutter ist fünfundfünfzig Jahre alt. — My mother is 55 years old.
• Mein Bruder ist sechsundzwanzig Jahre alt. — My brother is 26 years old.

Now try saying your own age in German. Start with Ich bin, add your age, and finish with Jahre alt.

German Numbers from 100 to 999

The German word for 100 is hundert. You may also hear einhundert, especially when someone wants to be very clear, but hundert is very common.

To form numbers after 100, German combines hundert with the number that follows.

German compound numbers are often written as one word. This is why long numbers can look very long in German. The good news is that the internal structure is still logical.

German Numbers from 1,000 and Beyond

The German word for 1,000 is tausend. You can also say eintausend, especially when you want to emphasize the number clearly.

For larger numbers, build the number step by step:

• 12,412 = zwölftausendvierhundertzwölf
• 772,691 = siebenhundertzweiundsiebzigtausendsechshunderteinundneunzig

Long German numbers may look intimidating, but they are simply smaller number parts connected together.

Million, Billion and Trillion in German

For very large numbers, German uses separate words such as Million and Milliarde.

Important: The German word eine Billion does not mean “one billion” in English. It means “one trillion.” The English “one billion” is eine Milliarde in German.

Examples:

• eine Million — one million
• zwanzig Millionen — twenty million
• eine Milliarde — one billion
• zweihundert Milliarden — two hundred billion

German Number Formatting: Dots and Commas

German and English use dots and commas differently in numbers.

In English, a comma often separates thousands. In German, a dot often separates thousands. In English, a dot is used for decimals. In German, a comma is used for decimals.

German Years: How to Read Dates

Years can be spoken differently depending on the year. For older years, German often uses a “hundred” structure, similar to English.

• 1982 can be said as neunzehnhundertzweiundachtzig.
• 2022 is usually said as zweitausendzweiundzwanzig.

This is useful when talking about birthdays, historical events, appointments, or documents.

Common Mistakes with German Numbers

1. Saying the tens before the ones

English says “twenty-four.” German says vierundzwanzig, literally “four and twenty.”

Incorrect: zwanzigvier

Correct: vierundzwanzig

2. Forgetting to shorten 16 and 17

Incorrect: sechszehn, siebenzehn

Correct: sechzehn, siebzehn

3. Confusing Billion and Milliarde

English “one billion” is eine Milliarde in German. German eine Billion means “one trillion.”

4. Using English punctuation in German numbers

Remember: German often writes 1.000 for one thousand and 15,3 for fifteen point three.

Mini Practice: Test Your German Numbers

Try to say these numbers in German before checking the answers.

1. 7
2. 16
3. 24
4. 39
5. 58
6. 91
7. 145
8. 892
9. 2,000
10. 45,000

Answers

1. sieben
2. sechzehn
3. vierundzwanzig
4. neununddreißig
5. achtundfünfzig
6. einundneunzig
7. hundertfünfundvierzig
8. achthundertzweiundneunzig
9. zweitausend
10. fünfundvierzigtausend

How to Practice German Numbers Effectively

German numbers become easier when you practice them actively. Reading the list once is not enough. You need to hear them, repeat them, write them, and use them in simple sentences.

• Count from 0 to 20 aloud every day.
• Practice random numbers from 21 to 99 using the “ones + und + tens” pattern.
• Say your age and the ages of people you know in German.
• Read prices, years, phone numbers, and dates aloud.
• Write five large numbers and break them into smaller German parts.

Practice idea: Choose five numbers around you today: a price, a date, a time, a page number, and a year. Try to say each one in German.

Continue Learning German with LangAdvance

If you want more structured German practice, you can continue with the free beginner workbook or explore the full LangAdvance German learning resources.

• Download the free German workbook for beginners
• Join the LangAdvance German Membership
• Get the Complete German Learning System

Use these resources to continue building vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and speaking confidence step by step.

Final Review: German Numbers Are Built from Patterns

German numbers may seem long, but they are not random. The most important thing is to learn the basic numbers, then understand how German combines them.

• 0 to 10 gives you the foundation.
• 11 and 12 are special forms.
• 13 to 19 mostly use the ending -zehn.
• 21 to 99 use the pattern ones + und + tens.
• 100 and above are built with hundert, tausend, Million, and Milliarde.

Once you understand these patterns, you can form almost any German number you need. Keep practicing aloud, and soon German numbers will feel much more natural.