Numbers Above 20

Level 1

Say the unit first, then an (and), then the tens, all as one word: eenanzwanzeg (21), zweeandrësseg (32).

How It Works

The tens

  • 20 zwanzeg
  • 30 drësseg
  • 40 véierzeg
  • 50 fofzeg
  • 60 sechzeg
  • 70 siwwenzeg
  • 80 achtzeg
  • 90 nonzeg

Watch the irregular ones: drësseg (not dräizeg), fofzeg, sechzeg (no s before z), achtzeg (short a). The official spelling also accepts siechzeg and uechtzeg.

Unit + an + tens
Like the old English four-and-twenty, the unit comes first: eenanzwanzeg (21), dräianzwanzeg (23), sechsandrësseg (36). One is een here, not eent.

The n-rule inside the number
The n-rule also works inside a word. The an keeps its n before z, d, n and a vowel, and drops it before v, f, s:

  • n stays: aachtanzwanzeg, zweeandrësseg, zweeanachtzeg, zweeannonzeg
  • n drops: aachtavéierzeg, dräiafofzeg, aachtasechzeg, dräiasiwwenzeg

Hundreds and thousands
Honnert (100) and dausend (1,000) join the other parts in one word: dräihonnert (300), zéngdausend (10,000), honnertdausend (100,000). Numbers below a million are written in small letters. Eng Millioun (a million) is a noun.

For digits, decimal commas and dates, see writing numbers and the n-rule with numbers.

Examples (6)

  1. D'Klass huet zweeanzwanzeg Schüler.

    The class has twenty-two pupils.

    Word by Word: The class has two-and-twenty pupils.

  2. Mäi Bopi ass aachtanachtzeg Joer al.

    My grandpa is eighty-eight years old.

    Word by Word: My grandpa is eight-and-eighty year old.

    An keeps its n before the vowel of achtzeg.

  3. Dat kascht fënnefavéierzeg Euro.

    That costs forty-five euros.

    Word by Word: That costs five-and-forty euro.

    An becomes a before the v of véierzeg.

  4. Siwwenzeg plus eenanzwanzeg ass eenannonzeg.

    Seventy plus twenty-one is ninety-one.

    Word by Word: Seventy plus one-and-twenty is one-and-ninety.

    An keeps its n before the n of nonzeg.

  5. D'Buch huet dräihonnert Säiten.

    The book has three hundred pages.

    Word by Word: The book has three-hundred pages.

  6. Lëtzebuerg huet méi wéi sechshonnertdausend Awunner.

    Luxembourg has more than six hundred thousand inhabitants.

    Word by Word: Luxembourg has more than six-hundred-thousand inhabitants.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting the tens first, as in English.

    zwanzegeent
    eenanzwanzeg

    In Luxembourgish the unit comes first and is joined with an: one-and-twenty.

  • Keeping the n of an before v, f or s.

    fënnefanvéierzeg
    fënnefavéierzeg

    The n-rule works inside the number: an becomes a before véierzeg, fofzeg, sechzeg and siwwenzeg.

  • Building 30 like the other tens.

    dräizeg
    drësseg

    Thirty is irregular: drësseg.

How It Connects

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

Numbers Above 20Level 1

Learn This First

Before Numbers Above 20, learn Numbers 13-20.

Words in This Pattern

andrëssegvéierzegfofzegsechzegsiwwenzegachtzegnonzeg