Breakdown of Ich zeige ihm zwanzig Fotos.
ich
I
zeigen
to show
ihm
him / it / to him / to it (dative)
das Foto
the photo
Questions & Answers about Ich zeige ihm zwanzig Fotos.
Why does the word for twenty (zwanzig) start with zwan- instead of zwei-?
Zwanzig means twenty, but its spelling shifts to zwan-. This makes it an exception compared to other tens like vierzig (40) or neunzig (90), which keep the exact root of their base numbers. You just have to memorize this slight change!
How do you pronounce the -ig at the end of zwanzig?
In standard German, the -ig at the end of a word is pronounced like the ich sound (a soft hissing sound). However, in southern Germany and Austria, you will often hear it pronounced with a hard k sound. Both are completely fine to use!
Why is the word ihm used here instead of er or ihn?
The verb zeigen (to show) involves someone receiving the action (showing something to someone). In German, this receiver is the indirect object and takes the dative case. Ihm is the dative form of er (he), meaning to him.
Why does Fotos end in an s? I thought German plurals usually end in -en or -e.
Most native German words do not use -s for the plural, but foreign loanwords usually do! Since Foto comes from other languages, it simply takes an -s to become Fotos, just like it does in English.