German · Beginner (A1) · Chapter 2 of 12
Numbers and prices
Zahlen und Preise
Count from 0 to 100 in German, ask what something costs, understand prices in euros and read out phone numbers.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Count from 0 to 100
- Ask how much something costs
- Understand and say prices in euros
Listen
Paul is looking around a flea market in Leipzig. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Paul
Guten Tag. Was kostet die Lampe?
Hello. How much is the lamp?
Seller
Die Lampe kostet zwölf Euro.
The lamp is twelve euros.
Paul
Und das Buch?
And the book?
Seller
Das Buch kostet vier Euro fünfzig.
The book is four euros fifty.
Paul
Und was kostet der Stuhl?
And how much is the chair?
Seller
Fünfundzwanzig Euro.
Twenty-five euros.
Paul
Hm, das ist teuer.
Hmm, that's expensive.
Seller
Na gut, zwanzig Euro.
All right, twenty euros.
Paul
Gut. Die Lampe und der Stuhl: Was macht das zusammen?
Good. The lamp and the chair: how much is that altogether?
Seller
Zweiunddreißig Euro.
Thirty-two euros.
Understand
Numbers 0 to 20
Learn 0 to 12 by heart. From 13 to 19 you add -zehn (ten), like “-teen” in English: , . Watch two short forms: (not sechszehn) and (not siebenzehn). 20 is .
Sounds: z is always said “ts”, as in “cats”: (tsvy), (tsayn). s before a vowel sounds like English “z”: (ZEE-ben), (zeks). ö in is like the “e” in “bed” said with rounded lips.
| Number | German | Number | German |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 10 | ||
| 1 | 11 | ||
| 2 | 12 | ||
| 3 | 13 | ||
| 4 | 14 | ||
| 5 | 15 | ||
| 6 | 16 | ||
| 7 | 17 | ||
| 8 | 18 | ||
| 9 | 19 |
21 to 100: the small number comes first
From 21 on, German says the units first, then (and), then the tens, all in one word: 21 is (“one-and-twenty”), 47 is (“seven-and-forty”). Note loses its -s: .
The tens from 20 to 90 end in -zig, except 30, , with ß. A final -ig sounds like the soft ch in : (TSVAN-tsich). 100 is or .
| Tens | German | Example | German |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 21 | ||
| 30 | 32 | ||
| 40 | 43 | ||
| 50 | 54 | ||
| 60 | 65 | ||
| 70 | 76 | ||
| 80 | 87 | ||
| 90 | 98 |
Prices: Was kostet …?
To ask the price of one thing, say …? followed by the thing. Germany writes prices with a comma: 4,50 € is four euros fifty. You say it as ; the cents are just a number. With a price, stays the same: .
Every German noun comes with , or (all meaning “the”): , , . For now, just learn each noun with its word for “the”. Chapter 3 explains how it works. Sound tip: eu in sounds like “oy” in “boy”.
- Was kostet das Buch?How much is the book?
- Das kostet drei Euro neunzig.That costs three euros ninety.
- Das macht zusammen zehn Euro.That's ten euros altogether.
More in the grammar: Articles and gender: der, die, das · German numbers: from 0 to a million · The German alphabet and pronunciation
New words
- Was kostet …?How much is …? / What does … cost? · = to cost
- die Lampelamp · feminine, plural:
- der Euroeuro · masculine; with a number it stays :
- das Buchbook · neuter, plural:
- der Stuhlchair · masculine, plural:
- teuerexpensive · = That's expensive. ( = is)
- Na gut.All right then. / OK.
- Was macht das?How much is that? (when paying)
- zusammentogether, altogether
- billigcheap
- der Centcent · masculine; with a number it stays :
- die Telefonnummerphone number · feminine, plural:
- ja / neinyes / no
Practise
1.How do you say 47?
2.Write the number 21 in words.
That costs twenty-one euros.
3.The price is €8.90. Complete what the seller says.
That's eight euros ninety.
4.Put the words in order to ask for the price.
Tap the words below in the right order.How much is the book?
5.Match the German numbers with the figures.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
0 of 5 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Was kostet die Lampe?
How much is the lamp?
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.