Hundreds and Thousands
To form large numbers in German, combine the multiplier with hundert (hundred) or tausend (thousand). Just like smaller numbers, you write these combinations together as one single word.
- 300 = dreihundert
- 4,000 = viertausend
When starting with one, it is common to just say hundert or tausend instead of einhundert or eintausend. Let's look at some prices and salaries using the verb verdienen (to earn):
Millions
There is an important grammar shift when you reach one million. Unlike hundert and tausend, die Million (million) is a regular noun. This means it is capitalized, written as a separate word, and takes a plural ending (-en) when there is more than one.
Large numbers are especially useful for talking about populations, where you might use the nouns der Einwohner (inhabitant) or der Mensch (human, person).
Combining and Estimating Large Numbers
You can easily stack these building blocks to create huge numbers like hunderttausend (one hundred thousand) or sechshundert (six hundred), keeping them as single continuous words unless a "Million" is involved.
When dealing with such massive amounts, we rarely have the exact figure. Use the adverbs ungefähr (approximately) and insgesamt (in total, altogether) to express estimates and summaries.
Finally, if you need to talk about the number itself, use the noun die Zahl (number):
