Breakdown of Das Kind zählt bis zwanzig.
das Kind
the child
zwanzig
twenty
bis
until / to (as far as)
zählen
to count
Questions & Answers about Das Kind zählt bis zwanzig.
Why do we use bis instead of zu for "to" twenty?
When counting up to a specific number, time, or point in a sequence, German uses bis (up to / until). Zu is generally used for physical destinations, like going to a place or a person.
I always get zählen, erzählen, and bezahlen mixed up. How do I remember which is which?
Zählen is the root verb meaning "to count" (like 1, 2, 3). Adding prefixes changes the meaning entirely: erzählen means "to tell" (like a story), and bezahlen means "to pay" (with money).
Since we are learning about fractional numbers, do basic numbers like zwanzig take endings too?
Unlike fractional numbers (like ein Zwanzigstel - a twentieth) or ordinal numbers (der zwanzigste - the twentieth), basic cardinal numbers like zwanzig do not change their endings. They stay exactly the same regardless of the grammatical case or gender of the sentence.
How should I pronounce the -ig at the end of zwanzig?
In standard High German, the suffix -ig at the end of a word is pronounced like a soft "ch" (as in the word ich). However, in southern Germany and Austria, you will often hear it pronounced as a hard "k" (like "zwanzik"). Both are perfectly understood!
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