Numbers Above 20

Level 1

To say numbers 21–99, say the unit digit first, add 'und', then the tens digit. Example: 24 is 'vierundzwanzig' (four-and-twenty).

How It Works

In German, numbers from 21 to 99 are formed by combining the unit (1–9) and the ten (20–90) with the mandatory word und (and).

1. The Construction:
The formula is: [Unit] + und + [Ten]. This is different from Numbers 11-20, which do not use 'und'.
Example: 54 = vier (4) + und + fünfzig (50) → vierundfünfzig.

2. Important Spelling Rules:

  • The 'One' Rule: When 1 is the unit, it becomes ein- (dropping the -s). So, 21 is einundzwanzig.
  • No Spaces: All numbers under one million are written as a single, long word.
  • The 'ß' Exception: While most tens end in -zig, the number 30 is always dreißig.
  • Capitalization: Cardinal numbers are generally written in lowercase (zweiundzwanzig) unless they are used as formal Nouns (e.g., 'Die Dreiundzwanzig ist meine Glückszahl').

3. Usage Note:
This inversion only happens for the last two digits. For example, 125 is hundertfünfundzwanzig. While 'und' is required for 21-99, it is optional for larger numbers like 101 (hunderteins or hundertundeins).

Examples (6)

  1. einundzwanzig

    twenty-one

    Word by Word: one-and-twenty

    Notice that 'eins' loses its 's' to become 'ein' when combined.

  2. fünfunddreißig

    thirty-five

    Word by Word: five-and-thirty

    Note the use of 'ß' in 'dreißig', which is the only ten-digit that doesn't use 'z'.

  3. Ich bin sechsundvierzig Jahre alt.

    I am forty-six years old.

    Word by Word: I am six-and-forty years old.

    A common way to state your age using compound numbers.

  4. Das Ticket kostet zweiundzwanzig Euro.

    The ticket costs twenty-two euros.

    Word by Word: The ticket costs two-and-twenty Euro.

    In professional contexts, people sometimes say 'zwo' instead of 'zwei' to avoid confusion with 'drei'.

  5. siebenundsiebzig

    seventy-seven

    Word by Word: seven-and-seventy

    Note that 'siebzig' (70) drops the '-en' from 'sieben'.

  6. neunundneunzig

    ninety-nine

    Word by Word: nine-and-ninety

    The ones come first: 'neun' (9), 'und' (and), then 'neunzig' (90).

Common Mistakes

  • Using the 'und' construction for numbers between 11 and 19.

    dreiundzehn
    dreizehn

    The 'unit + und + ten' rule only starts at 21. Numbers 11-19 use a different pattern (unit + zehn) without the word 'und'.

  • Using the English word order (Tens then Units).

    zwanzig-zwei
    zweiundzwanzig

    Learners often translate directly from English. Remember: in German, the small number (unit) always comes before the big number (ten) with 'und' in between.

  • Using 'eins' instead of 'ein' for numbers ending in 1.

    einsunddreißig
    einunddreißig

    When the number 1 comes before 'und' in a compound number, it drops the final 's'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Numbers Above 20Level 1

Learn This First

To form numbers above 20 in German, you need to know the basic digits 1-9, the names of the tens (which are introduced in the 11-20 range, specifically 'zwanzig'), and how to use the conjunction 'und' to link them in the reverse order (units before tens).

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.