Counting by Tens: 30, 40, and 50
In English, we add "-ty" to make round numbers like forty and fifty. In German, the standard ending for multiples of ten is -zig.
- vier (4) + zig = vierzig (40)
- fünf (5) + zig = fünfzig (50)
However, the number thirty is the one exception to the -zig rule. It uses an Eszett (the ß character) instead of a z, making the ending -ßig.
- drei (3) + ßig = dreißig (30)
| The book has thirty pages. | Das Buch hat dreißig Seiten. |
| My mother is forty years old. | Meine Mutter ist vierzig Jahre alt. |
| The bus had fifty seats. | Der Bus hatte fünfzig Plätze. |
Spelling Changes: 60 and 70
Just like the teen numbers sechzehn (16) and siebzehn (17), sixty and seventy drop a few letters from their base numbers to make pronunciation smoother.
For sixty, sechs drops its final -s:
- sechs → sechzig (not sechszig)
| The hotel has sixty rooms. | Das Hotel hat sechzig Zimmer. |
For seventy, sieben drops its final -en:
- sieben → siebzig (not siebenzig)
| My grandma is seventy years old. | Meine Oma ist siebzig Jahre alt. |
Rounding out the Tens: 80 and 90
Eighty and ninety go right back to the regular -zig pattern, combining the base number and the suffix without any spelling changes.
- acht (8) + zig = achtzig (80)
- neun (9) + zig = neunzig (90)
| The man was eighty years old. | Der Mann war achtzig Jahre alt. |
| We can take ninety photos. | Wir können neunzig Fotos machen. |
| The grandpa is seventy or eighty years old. | Der Opa ist siebzig oder achtzig Jahre alt. |
One Hundred
To say "a hundred" or "one hundred" in German, you can simply use the word hundert. You do not need to add "ein" (one) in front of it when talking about exactly one hundred.
| A hundred bottles stand in the kitchen. | Hundert Flaschen stehen in der Küche. |
| A hundred people are at the party. | Hundert Leute sind auf der Party. |