Lesson 1 - Letters and Numbers
The German Alphabets (with Pronunciation Guide)
| a (ah) | b (beh) | c (tseh) | d (deh) | e (eh) | f (eff) | g (geh) |
| h (hah) | i (ih) | j (yot) | k (kah) | l (el) | m (em) | n (en) |
| o (oh) | p (peh) | q (kuh) | r (err) | s (ess) | t (teh) | u (uh) |
| v (vau) | w (weh) | x (iks) | y (ypsilon) | z (zet) | ||
| Ä (a-Umlaut) | ö (o-Umlaut) | ü (u-Umlaut) | ß (ess-tsett) |
The basic numbers in German have many similarities with English. The teens being least regular. The table below is laid out to show the pattern of numbers, the exceptions to watch for are 11, 12 and 17. Incidently I've not given the English in text form as it's far better to learn to associate the German with symbolic form of the number.
| The Basics | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | null | 10 | zehn | 20 | zwanzig |
| 1 | eins | 11 | elf | 21 | einundzwanzig |
| 2 | zwei | 12 | zwölf | 22 | zweiundzwanzig |
| 3 | drei | 13 | dreizehn | 23 | dreiundzwanzig |
| 4 | vier | 14 | vierzehn | 24 | vierundzwanzig |
| 5 | fünf | 15 | fünfzehn | 25 | fünfundzwanzig |
| 6 | sechs | 16 | sechzehn | 26 | sechsundzwanzig |
| 7 | sieben | 17 | siebzehn | 27 | siebenundzwanzig |
| 8 | acht | 18 | achtzehn | 28 | achtundzwanzig |
| 9 | neun | 19 | neunzehn | 29 | neunundzwanzig |
The rest of the numbers up to 99 follow a similar pattern; so there are einunddreißig days in December, siebenundvierzig Heinz varieties and sechundsiebzig trombones in the big parade!
Moving on from this we have hunderteins dalmations, dreihundertfünfundsechzig days in a year and so on.
| 30 | dreißig | 40 | vierzig | 50 | fünfzig |
| 60 | sechzig | 70 | siebzig | 80 | achtzig |
| 90 | neunzig | 100 | hundert | 1000 | tausend |
As well as the above numbers, the so-called Cardinals, we also have the Ordinals as shown below.
| The Ordinals | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | der zehnte | 20th | der zwanzigste | ||
| 1st | der erste | 11th | der elfte | 21st | der einundzwanzigste |
| 2nd | der zweite | 12th | der zwölfte | 22nd | der zweiundzwanzigste |
| 3rd | der dritte | 13th | der dreizehnte | 23rd | der dreiundzwanzigste |
| 4th | der vierte | 14th | der vierzehnte | 24th | der vierundzwanzigste |
| 5th | der fünfte | 15th | der fünfzehnte | 25th | der fünfundzwanzigste |
| 6th | der sechste | 16th | der sechzehnte | 26th | der sechsundzwanzigste |
| 7th | der siebte | 17th | der siebzehnte | 27th | der siebenundzwanzigste |
| 8th | der achte | 18th | der achtzehnte | 28th | der achtundzwanzigste |
| 9th | der neunte | 19th | der neunzehnte | 29th | der neunundzwanzigste |
| 30th | der dreißigste | 40th | der vierzigste | 50th | der fünfzigste |
| 60th | der sechzigste | 70th | der siebzigste | 80th | der achtzigste |
| 90th | der neunzigste | 100th | der hundertste | 1000th | der tausendste |
Learning German Experience
Tim Davison
© 2001 All rights reserved.
Revised 7 June 2002
 |
