Numbers and Time in German

Overview

Numbers and telling time are among the first practical skills you need at the A1 level. Whether you are buying groceries, making appointments, or simply understanding a bus schedule, you cannot get by without them. German numbers follow a logical pattern, but there is one famous quirk: for numbers 21-99, the ones digit is said before the tens digit, connected by und. So 25 is fünfundzwanzig — literally "five and twenty."

Telling time in German also has its own conventions. The informal way uses a 12-hour system with expressions like halb (half), Viertel (quarter), vor (before), and nach (after). Crucially, halb drei means "half past two" (halfway to three), not "half past three" — a classic source of confusion for English speakers.

Days of the week, months, and dates round out this essential topic, giving you the tools to navigate calendars and plan your life in German.

How It Works

Cardinal numbers 0-20:

Number	German	Number	German
0	null	11	elf
1	eins	12	zwölf
2	zwei	13	dreizehn
3	drei	14	vierzehn
4	vier	15	fünfzehn
5	fünf	16	sechzehn
6	sechs	17	siebzehn
7	sieben	18	achtzehn
8	acht	19	neunzehn
9	neun	20	zwanzig
10	zehn

Numbers 21-99 (ones before tens):

Number	German	Pattern
21	einundzwanzig	ein + und + zwanzig
34	vierunddreißig	vier + und + dreißig
56	sechsundfünfzig	sechs + und + fünfzig
99	neunundneunzig	neun + und + neunzig

Telling time (informal):

German	Meaning	Clock
Es ist drei Uhr.	It is three o'clock.	3:00
Es ist Viertel nach drei.	It is quarter past three.	3:15
Es ist halb vier.	It is half past three.	3:30
Es ist Viertel vor vier.	It is quarter to four.	3:45
Es ist fünf nach drei.	It is five past three.	3:05
Es ist zehn vor vier.	It is ten to four.	3:50

Telling time (formal/official, 24-hour):

German	Clock
Es ist fünfzehn Uhr dreißig.	15:30
Es ist zwanzig Uhr fünfundvierzig.	20:45

Days of the week:

German	English
Montag	Monday
Dienstag	Tuesday
Mittwoch	Wednesday
Donnerstag	Thursday
Freitag	Friday
Samstag	Saturday
Sonntag	Sunday

Months:

German	English	German	English
Januar	January	Juli	July
Februar	February	August	August
März	March	September	September
April	April	Oktober	October
Mai	May	November	November
Juni	June	Dezember	December

Dates: Use ordinal numbers: Heute ist der dritte Mai. (Today is May 3rd.)

Examples in Context

German	English	Note
Es ist halb drei.	It is half past two.	halb + next hour
Heute ist der dritte Mai.	Today is May 3rd.	Ordinal for dates
Ich habe zwanzig Euro.	I have twenty euros.	Cardinal number
Der Zug kommt um fünfzehn Uhr dreißig.	The train comes at 15:30.	Official time
Es ist Viertel vor acht.	It is quarter to eight.	7:45
Meine Telefonnummer ist 030-555-1234.	My phone number is 030-555-1234.	Numbers read individually
Am fünfundzwanzigsten Dezember ist Weihnachten.	Christmas is on December 25th.	Date with ordinal
Wie viel Uhr ist es?	What time is it?	Asking the time
Er ist zweiunddreißig Jahre alt.	He is 32 years old.	Age
Der Film dauert zwei Stunden.	The movie lasts two hours.	Duration

Common Mistakes

Interpreting "halb drei" as "half past three"

• Wrong: Thinking halb drei = 3:30
• Right: halb drei = 2:30 (halfway to three)
• Why: In German, halb refers to the upcoming hour, not the current one. Halb drei means "half to three" = 2:30.

Reversing the digit order in English

• Wrong: Saying zwanzigeins for 21
• Right: einundzwanzig (one-and-twenty)
• Why: For numbers 21-99, German says the ones digit first, then und, then the tens digit. This is the opposite of English.

Forgetting ordinal endings in dates

• Wrong: Heute ist der drei Mai.
• Right: Heute ist der dritte Mai.
• Why: Dates use ordinal numbers. Numbers 1-19 add -te: der erste, der zweite, der dritte. Numbers 20+ add -ste: der zwanzigste.

Practice Tips

1. Count daily objects: Count things you see throughout the day in German — stairs, cars, items in your shopping cart. This makes numbers automatic.
2. Clock check: Every time you look at the clock, say the time in German using both informal and formal systems.
3. Date journal: Write today's date in German every morning: "Heute ist Mittwoch, der fünfzehnte Oktober."

Related Concepts

• Ordinal Numbers — first, second, third and their usage