German numbers, age and phone numbers.

Numbers from zero to twelve

The basic numbers from 0 to 12 are unique words that you must memorize individually. They form the foundation for all larger numbers in German.

• Ich bin eins.I am one.
• Das ist Tom und er ist zwölf.This is Tom and he is twelve.

Numbers from thirteen to nineteen

Numbers from 13 to 19 are formed by adding zehn to the base digit. Note that 16 and 17 drop letters from their base digits before adding the ending.

• Maria ist sechzehn.Maria is sixteen.
• Wir sind siebzehn.We are seventeen.

Tens and two-digit numbers

Tens end in zig, except for dreißig which ends in ßig. For two-digit numbers, say the single unit first, join it with und, and write everything as one single word.

• Er ist einundzwanzig.He is twenty-one.
• Sie sind fünfundvierzig.They are forty-five.

Using numbers with sein

Combine the verb sein with numbers to state an age with Jahre alt, read a phone number digit by digit, or state a price with Euro.

• Ich bin 25 Jahre alt.I am 25 years old.
• Das ist drei Euro fünfzig.That is three euros fifty.

Exceptions to remember

• The number 1 drops its final s when combined with und in larger numbers. einunddreißig
• The number 6 loses its final s in sechzehn and sechzig. sechzig
• The number 7 loses its ending en in siebzehn and siebzig. siebzehn
• The number 30 is the only ten that uses sharp s instead of z. dreißig

Practice it in the course

This rule is chapter 4 of 31 in the A1 German course in Langvie, after The German verb sein (to be) and before German present tense verb endings. In the app the chapter goes on with 8 exercises and a short spoken conversation with an AI partner, which opens with Guten Tag! Wie alt sind Sie? Und Telefonnummer, bitte?

Choose the correct two-digit number. Ich bin ___ Jahre alt. (einundzwanzig / einsundzwanzig / zwanzigundeins)

einundzwanzig. Combine unit without s plus und plus ten into one word. I am twenty-one years old.

Every A1 chapter, in course order