16. German language A1 : Numbers (Zahlen) above 100

16. German language A1 : Numbers (Zahlen) above 100

In our previous lessons (Lesson 3 and Lesson 4), we learned numbers up to 100. Today, we will expand our knowledge and focus on numbers above 100 in German. These numbers are essential for everyday life, such as telling the year you were born, giving large quantities, or discussing money.


1. Numbers in Hundreds

In German, the hundreds are built from the base numbers (two, three, four, etc.) followed by hundert.

  • 100: (ein)hundert oder hundert
  • 200: zweihundert
  • 300: dreihundert
  • 400: vierhundert
  • 500: fünfhundert
  • 600: sechshundert
  • 700: siebenhundert
  • 800: achthundert
  • 900: neunhundert

👉 Note: The word ein is often dropped in 100 (just hundert).


2. Numbers in Thousands

  • 1,000: (ein)tausend
  • 2,000: zweitausend
  • 10,000: zehntausend
  • 11,000: elftausend
  • 12,000: zwölftausend

For hundreds of thousands:

  • 100,000: (ein)hunderttausend
  • 200,000: zweihunderttausend

3. Numbers in Millions

  • 1,000,000: eine Million
  • 2,000,000: zwei Millionen
  • 10,000,000: zehn Millionen
  • 50,000,000: fünfzig Millionen
  • 100,000,000: (ein)hundert Millionen

👉 Million is a feminine noun in German, so it is used with eine Million instead of ein Million.


4. Combining Numbers

Just like with smaller numbers, Germans combine numbers in a logical way. The order follows: thousands + hundreds + tens + ones.

Examples:

  • 101 = 100 + 1 = einhunderteins
  • 110 = 100 + 10 = einhundertzehn
  • 111 = 100 + 11 = einhundertelf
  • 121 = 100 + 21 = einhunderteinundzwanzig
  • 634 = 600 + 34 = sechshundertvierunddreißig
  • 987 = 900 + 87 = neunhundertsiebenundachtzig

With thousands:

  • 1101 = 1000 + 100+ 1 = eintausendeinhunderteins
  • 1111 = 1000 + 100 + 11 = eintausendeinhundertelf
  • 1995 = 1000 + 900 + 95 = eintausendneunhundertfünfundneunzig
  • 2448 = 2000 + 400 + 48 = zweitausendvierhundertachtundvierzig
  • 13,236 = 13000 + 200 +36 = dreizehntausendzweihundertsechsunddreißig

5. Talking About Years (Jahreszahlen)

When speaking about years, German often groups numbers differently compared to English.

  • 1975 = 1900 +75 = neunzehnhundertfünfundsiebzig (literally: “nineteen hundred seventy-five”)
  • 2017 = 2000 +17 = zweitausendsiebzehn (two thousand seventeen)

👉 The year 1995 is said: neunzehnhundertfünfundneunzig.

Example conversation:

  • Wann bist du geboren? (When were you born?)
  • Ich bin (im Jahr) neunzehnhundertfünfundneunzig (1995) geboren. (I was born in 1995.)

6. Practice Section

Try reading these numbers aloud:

  1. 348 = ___________________
  2. 4521 = ___________________
  3. 20,019 = ___________________
  4. 1989 = ___________________
  5. 2024 = ___________________

Conclusion

Numbers above 100 in German follow clear patterns. Once you know how to say the hundreds, thousands, and millions, you can combine them easily. Practice regularly by reading dates, phone numbers, or prices in German.

💡 Tip: Start by practicing the years (Jahreszahlen) since they often come up in conversations about birthdays, history, or current events.

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