ZAHLEN und DATUM (numbers and dates in German)

Numbers as it is called in English, just like the Alphabet, are a key aspect of the German language. Numbers are many and indefinite. This means it has no end. They perform a lot of role which ranges from counting, dating and numbering etc. Numbers can either be in a character form otherwise called figure or in word form. There are two categories of numbers in german as listed below;

• Kardinalzahlen
• Ordinalzahlen

Cardinal Numbers

Cardinal numbers otherwise known as Kardinalzahlen in German, are nouns although they can be converted to adjectives. As a matter of fact, they are all feminine nouns. Cardinal numbers range from zero to infinity. They are majorly used for counting and totaling. When counting in English, the numbers are usually accompanied with the word number. For example; number one, number two, number three… etc. This in deutsch is translated as Nummer and the examples become Nummer eins, Nummer zwei, Nummer drei… etc.

The first twenty numbers listed below are regarded as the foundation of German numbers. Although all numbers are important, these I consider the most important. This is because once they are perfectly mastered, knowing the rest is no longer difficult. If pronouncing them becomes a challenge, my previous article on how to pronounce a German word would help you.

**Note that Dreißig is the only number that uses ß at the suffix. This is probably because the preceding and succeeding diphthongs /ei/ and /ig/ are both long sounds. Hence can not permit a short sound such as /z/ or /s/ in between.

From 21 upwards is formed in such a strategic way. The addition of the end-suffix “-zig” which is likened to the English “-ty” makes them kind of similar except that the positioning of the combined number is reversed and uses the conjunction “und” where English uses the punctuation mark (-). For example; 21 is pronounced and spelled in English as twenty-one but in German, it becomes “one and twenty” literally but without any space in between words and the loss of the s from cceins. Study the list below.

From hundred, the German numbers are usually written like in English. Once you have mastered the numbers from 0 to 100, then the rest becomes simpler. All you have to do is simply follow the sequence. Usually in German, the and that links the hundred to the next number in English is omitted. Hence, 101 which is written in English as one hundred and one, becomes written as (Ein)hunderteins and not (Ein)hundertundeins in German. Remember not to add space between each word. Observe the sequence below.

**Note that the first Ein is optional to use. Einhundert und Eintausend can also be written as Hundert and Tausend respectively.

DATUM

Dates in German are of two types namely;

• Date of the days & months
• Date of the century

Date of the days & months is used for occasions such as wedding anniversary, birthdays, appointments making etc. This date usually makes use of ordinal numbers and they are adjectives. It can either be written in full form or in an abbreviated form and in words or in figures. When the are written in figures and abbreviated in words, they are punctuated with a full stop (.).

**Note that when this kind of date is written in figures, it is usually in twos. That is, second is written as 02 while January is 01. Nevertheless, in spoken German, it is used as on digit where January is simply 1 and second is 2.

Date of the Century on the other hand is used to mark years and Millennials. In German, this date is used in two ways with respect to the year 2000. That is to say, the years before the 21st Century are written in a different way from the 21st century.

The years from the 1st to 20th Century are written in words in tens of hundred while the years from the 21st century are written in units of thousand. They are both written without space in between. For example;

• B.C —— vor Christus
• A.D —— nach Christus
• 1500 —— Fünfzehnhundert.
• 1501 —— Fünfzehnhunderteins.
• 1871 —— Achtzehnhunderteinundsiebzig.
• 1945 —— Neunzehnhundertfünfundvierzig.
• 1999 —— Neunzehnhundertneunundneunzig.
• 2000 —— Zweitausend.
• 2006 —— Zweitausend(und)sechs.
• 2011 —— Zweitausend(und)elf.
• 2020 —— Zweitausend(und)zwanzig.
• 2022 —— Zweitausendzweiundzwanzig.

**Note that the dates of the century are all nouns and must never be punctuated like the dates of the month. Also, they never use the preposition “in” like English.