German Numbers 20-100 Explained

In German you say the small number first: 24 is “four and twenty”. This lesson shows you the German tens from 20 to 100, the rule for all the numbers in between, and the one small trap with the number one.

The Tens (Zehnerzahlen)

All the tens end in -zig, like “-ty” in English (20, 30, 40...). There is only one exception: dreißig (30) ends in -ßig, because it is spelled with the sharp S and has no Z. Everything else ends in -zig.

The Numbers in Between: Ones First, Then “und”, Then the Tens

Now the part that is not very logical compared to English and many other languages: you start at the back. First the ones, then the word und (and), then the tens. It is the same as saying “one and twenty”.

The same rule works for every ten: 31 is einunddreißig, 45 is fünfundvierzig, 99 is neunundneunzig. German writes the whole number as one long word.

A tip for learners

When you start, say the number word by word, slowly: vier und zwanzig. That is perfectly fine in the beginning. Once you get better, you can say it faster and more fluently: vierundzwanzig. Luzi suggests that in the beginning you always do it word by word.

The Trap: No “s” in einund...

The number one is eins, with an S. But as soon as it is part of a bigger number, the S disappears: einundzwanzig (21), einunddreißig (31), einundfünfzig (51), einundachtzig (81). The rule is simple: only the number one on its own has the S. In 21, 31, 41, 51 and so on there is never an S.

Exercises: Say These Numbers

Try to say each number in German before you look at the answer.

Question of the Day

The question of the day is Wie alt bist du? (How old are you?). You do not have to tell your real age, you can use any number. In the video you can also guess the host's age: Wie alt bin ich? (How old am I?).

What to Learn Next

If you have not learned the small numbers yet, start with German numbers from 1 to 20. Use your new numbers in how to tell the time in German, learn to say dates with German dates and ordinal numbers, and listen to more everyday sentences in weekdays, daytime and months in German.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you say 21 in German?

Einundzwanzig. German says the ones first, then und, then the tens: ein + und + zwanzig, literally “one and twenty”.

Why is there no S in einundzwanzig?

Only the number one on its own is eins. When it is part of a bigger number such as 21, 31 or 51, it is just ein: einundzwanzig, einunddreißig, einundfünfzig.

What are the German tens?

Zwanzig (20), dreißig (30), vierzig (40), fünfzig (50), sechzig (60), siebzig (70), achtzig (80), neunzig (90) and hundert (100).

Why is dreißig spelled differently?

All tens end in -zig except dreißig (30), which is spelled with the sharp S (ß) and has no Z.

How do you ask someone’s age in German?

Ask Wie alt bist du? and answer Ich bin ... Jahre alt with a number from this lesson, for example Ich bin vierundzwanzig.

Once the numbers feel easy, there is a lot more to enjoy. Our complete A1 German course takes you from numbers and greetings to full conversations, with videos, worksheets and support when you get stuck.