German course

Lesson 19 of 240

New here? This is lesson 19 of a free 240-lesson German course.

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Bigger numbers in German

Priya is back at Bäckerei Krause, and the till is about to speak. Renate adds up rolls and coffee while Priya tries to catch the bigger numbers.

Anton sits at the corner table with a Milchkaffee he still has not finished. When he hears twenty-one, he nods as if the number meant something.

By the end, you can say eleven to a thousand, and you can hear a bill read aloud.

The bill is only rolls and coffee. Keep the numbers handy for the till.

By the end of this lesson

Say numbers from eleven to a thousand and understand a bill read aloud.

  • elf, zwölf, dreizehnEleven, twelve, thirteen.
  • zwanzig, dreißig, vierzigTwenty, thirty, forty.
  • einundzwanzigTwenty-one.
  • hundertA hundred.
  • tausendA thousand.
  • Das macht zweiundzwanzig Euro.The bill is twenty-two euros.

Scene — the till

Priya stands at the counter with a few rolls and two coffees. Renate is already at the till, reading the total aloud.

Anton sits on two chairs at the corner table. His Milchkaffee is still full. He listens as if the next number might matter.

Priya stands at the counter while Renate looks up from the till and Anton listens from the corner table.

Learn — eleven to a thousand

Six short lines take you from eleven up to a thousand, then one full bill sentence.

You'll also hear twenty-one as one piece, and a total in euros.

  1. Priya counts on her fingers beside the rolls and coffees.

    elf, zwölf, dreizehn

    Eleven, twelve, thirteen.

    When to use it: Use these when you count past ten.

    Learn it as one piece for the first teens.

    Say it: Zwölf has a rounded ö sound.

  2. Renate looks up from the till toward Priya.

    zwanzig, dreißig, vierzig

    Twenty, thirty, forty.

    When to use it: Use these for tens when you hear a price.

    Learn it as one piece for the tens.

  3. Priya leans toward the till and lifts one hand as she practices the numbers.

    einundzwanzig

    Twenty-one.

    When to use it: Use this when the number is twenty-one.

    Learn it as one piece, not as two numbers.

    Say it: Einundzwanzig puts the stress on the first syllable.

  4. Anton listens from the corner table beside his untouched milky coffee.

    hundert

    A hundred.

    When to use it: Use this when the number reaches a hundred.

    Learn it as one piece for one hundred.

    Say it: Hundert ends in a weak -er sound.

  5. Priya opens her hands as Anton attends to her from the corner table.

    tausend

    A thousand.

    When to use it: Use this when the number reaches a thousand.

    Learn it as one piece for one thousand.

    Say it: Tausend puts the stress on the first syllable.

  6. Renate presents the bagged rolls and coffees to Priya at the counter.

    Das macht zweiundzwanzig Euro.

    The bill is twenty-two euros.

    When to use it: Use this when you hear or say a bill total.

    Learn it as one piece at the till.

Story — only rolls and coffee

Watch Renate add up the bill. Anton treats one number as if it meant something.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. The till beeps. Renate looks up from the counter.
  2. RenateGuten Morgen.Good morning.
  3. PriyaGuten Morgen.Good morning.
  4. Priya watches the numbers and tries them aloud.
  5. Priyaelf, zwölf, dreizehnEleven, twelve, thirteen.
  6. Antonzwanzig, dreißig, vierzigTwenty, thirty, forty.
  7. AntoneinundzwanzigTwenty-one.
  8. He nods, as if that number meant something.
  9. PriyahundertA hundred.
  10. AntontausendA thousand.
  11. RenateDas macht zweiundzwanzig Euro.The bill is twenty-two euros.
  12. PriyaDanke.Thank you.
  13. She bags the rolls. It is only coffee and bread.
  14. RenateBitte schön.Here you go.

Practice — hear the total

Eleven quick exercises wait here. You will listen, pick, match, fill a gap, and build a line.

They stay tiny, so the round moves fast.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    German

    elf, zwölf, dreizehnDrop the English here
    zwanzig, dreißig, vierzigDrop the English here
    einundzwanzigDrop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its German, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    The till shows twenty-one. Say that number.

  4. Fill the gap

    Eleven, twelve, thirteen.

    elf, zwölf, ____

  5. What does it mean?

    tausend

  6. Swap the word

    The till shows twenty-two euros, not twenty-one.

    Das macht ____ Euro.

  7. Pick the reply

    Renate says:

    Das macht zweiundzwanzig Euro.

    The bill is twenty-two euros.

    And you reply with:

  8. Build the line

    Twenty, thirty, forty.

    , ,

    Tap the words in order.

  9. True or false?

    This word means a hundred.

  10. Which one doesn’t belong?

  11. What do you say?

    You have just walked in. It is still morning.

Say it — say the numbers

Now you're Priya at the till. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. RenateGuten Morgen.Good morning.
  2. Priya (you)Count eleven, twelve and thirteen.

    elf, zwölf, dreizehn

    Eleven, twelve, thirteen.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

GermanEnglish
elf, zwölf, dreizehnEleven, twelve, thirteen.
zwanzig, dreißig, vierzigTwenty, thirty, forty.
einundzwanzigTwenty-one.
hundertA hundred.
tausendA thousand.
Das macht zweiundzwanzig Euro.The bill is twenty-two euros.
Next: lesson 20One coffee, one roll

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to keep these numbers handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps eleven to a thousand ready for the till.

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