German Numbers 1-20 Explained
Numbers are one of the first things you'll actually use in German — ordering a coffee, telling someone your age, giving a phone number. In this lesson, we go through the German numbers 1 to 20 step by step, cover the pattern that makes 13-19 predictable, and finish with a few quick examples so you can start using them in daily life right away.
Numbers 1-12: No Real Pattern, Just Memorize
1 eins, 2 zwei, 3 drei, 4 vier, 5 fünf, 6 sechs, 7 sieben, 8 acht, 9 neun, 10 zehn, 11 elf, 12 zwölf. These twelve are irregular in the sense that they don't follow a formula — they simply need to be learned individually, the same way English speakers learn one to twelve.
Numbers 13-19: The "-zehn" Pattern
From 13 onward, German becomes predictable: take the base number and add -zehn. 13 dreizehn, 14 vierzehn, 15 fünfzehn, 16 sechzehn (note: sechs drops the s), 17 siebzehn (sieben drops the -en), 18 achtzehn, 19 neunzehn. Once you know 3-9, this whole row becomes almost automatic.
A Small but Useful Detail: zwei vs. zwo
20 is zwanzig. On the phone or when reading out numbers one digit at a time, Germans often swap zwei for zwo — because zwei can be misheard as drei (three). It's not a different number, just a clearer way to say "2" out loud.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say the numbers 1 to 10 in German?
Eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf, sechs, sieben, acht, neun, zehn.
What is the pattern for German numbers 13-19?
Take the base number (drei, vier, fünf...) and add -zehn, e.g. dreizehn (13), vierzehn (14) — with sechzehn and siebzehn dropping a letter for easier pronunciation.
Why do Germans sometimes say "zwo" instead of "zwei"?
Zwo is used, especially on the phone or reading digits aloud, to avoid confusing zwei (2) with drei (3).
What is the German number 20?
Zwanzig.
Is there a pattern for numbers 11 and 12 in German?
No — elf (11) and zwölf (12) are irregular and need to be memorized individually, just like 1-10.
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