Language/German/Vocabulary/Count-to-10
Hi German learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to count to 10 in German. Being able to count is a fundamental component of any language, and German is no exception. So, let's start!
Consider exploring these related pages after completing this lesson: Drinks, Days of the Week, People in German & Basic Phrases in German.
Cardinal Numbers[edit | edit source]
Let's begin with the cardinal numbers 1 through 10 in German:
| German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Eins | ayns | One |
| Zwei | tsvey | Two |
| Drei | dry | Three |
| Vier | feer | Four |
| Fünf | fuenf | Five |
| Sechs | zeks | Six |
| Sieben | zee-ben | Seven |
| Acht | akht | Eight |
| Neun | noyn | Nine |
| Zehn | tsehn | Ten |
An interesting fact about the German language is that "three" in German (drei) sounds quite similar to "dry" in English. If you remember this little analogy, it should be easier to memorize the corresponding German word.
Let's practice together. Imagine you are buying fruit at a market in Germany:
- Person 1: Ich hätte gerne eine Banane. (I would like a banana.)
- Person 2: Natürlich. Wie viele möchtest du? (Of course. How many would you like?)
- Person 1: Zwei, bitte. (Two, please.)
Great job! Now, let's move on to ordinal numbers.
Ordinal Numbers[edit | edit source]
Ordinal numbers are used to show order or position, such as "first", "second", "third", etc. in English. In German, the ordinal numbers are quite similar to the cardinal numbers. Here are the first five ordinal numbers:
| German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Erste | air-stuh | First |
| Zweite | tsvai-tuh | Second |
| Dritte | dritt-uh | Third |
| Vierte | fiert-uh | Fourth |
| Fünfte | fuenf-tuh | Fifth |
To practice using these ordinal numbers in German, imagine you are talking about your family:
- Person 1: Wer ist die älteste Person in deiner Familie? (Who is the oldest person in your family?)
- Person 2: Das ist meine Großmutter. Sie ist die erste Tochter von drei Geschwistern. (That is my grandmother. She is the first daughter of three siblings.)
Awesome! Now let's review what we've learned.
Review[edit | edit source]
Congratulations! Now you are able to count to 10 and use the first five ordinal numbers in German. But don't stop here – keep practicing and learning new words to improve your German Vocabulary.
To improve your German vocabulary, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!
Sources[edit | edit source]
➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
Videos[edit | edit source]
How to Count to Ten in German - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Health
- Election
- Adverbs in German
- Jobs
- Introducing
- Dinner Table
- Geography
- Common strong and mixed verbs
- Animal Sounds
- Resources