Numbers Above 20

Level 1

In Dutch, numbers from 21 to 99 are flipped compared to English. You say 'one-and-twenty' instead of 'twenty-one'.

How It Works

When forming numbers between 21 and 99, Dutch follows a specific logic that differs from English:

1. The Inversion: You always state the smaller number (1-9) first, then the word en (and), and finally the multiple of ten (20, 30, 40, etc.). For example, 24 is vierentwintig (four-and-twenty).

2. One Word vs. Separate Words: Dutch writes numbers as one continuous word up to 1,000 (e.g., negenhonderdnegenennegentig). However, a space is required after the word duizend (thousand) when followed by other numbers (e.g., 1.001 is duizend één). Larger units like miljoen (million) and miljard (billion) are also written as separate words.

3. Spelling Rules:

  • The Trema (ë): If the unit ends in a vowel, use a trema to separate the sounds: tweeëntwintig (22) and drieëndertig (33).
  • No Accents: The number 1 (één) loses its accents in compounds: eenentwintig (21).
  • The 80 Exception: Note that 80 is tachtig. It is unique because it adds an extra 't' to the root acht (eight), whereas vijftig, zestig, zeventig and negentig simply add the suffix -tig.

4. Higher Numbers: For 100 and 1,000, Dutch usually drops the 'one'. You simply say honderd or duizend unless you want to emphasize exactly one. For numbers over 100, say the hundred first, then the inverted unit/ten combo: 125 is honderdvijfentwintig.

Examples (5)

  1. eenentwintig

    twenty-one

    Word by Word: one-and-twenty

    Note that the accents from 'één' are removed in the compound word.

  2. tweeëntwintig

    twenty-two

    Word by Word: two-and-twenty

    A trema (ë) is added to 'en' because 'twee' ends in a vowel.

  3. drieëndertig

    thirty-three

    Word by Word: three-and-thirty

    Like 'twee', 'drie' requires a trema on the 'e' of 'en'.

  4. Mijn oma is tweeëntachtig jaar oud.

    My grandmother is eighty-two years old.

    Word by Word: My grandma is two-and-eighty year old.

    Notice that 'jaar' remains singular, which is common after numbers in Dutch.

  5. Het boek heeft vijfenzestig bladzijden.

    The book has sixty-five pages.

    Word by Word: The book has five-and-sixty pages.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the English word order (Ten + Unit).

    twintig-een
    eenentwintig

    Learners often try to translate 'twenty-one' directly. In Dutch, the unit must always come first for numbers 21-99.

  • Writing the number as separate words.

    vier en veertig
    vierenveertig

    In Dutch, numbers under 1,000 are written as one single word without spaces.

  • Forgetting the trema after 'twee' or 'drie' (as in 23 or 33).

    drieentwintig
    drieëntwintig

    Without the trema (ë), the vowels would merge incorrectly. The trema shows that 'en' starts a new syllable: tweeëntwintig, drieëntwintig, drieëndertig.

How It Connects

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Numbers Above 20Level 1

Learn This First

To form numbers above 20 in Dutch, you need to know the basic digits 1-9 and the names of the tens. Crucially, Dutch uses a 'unit-first' system connected by the word 'en' (and), so understanding how to use 'en' as a connector is essential.

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