🔢 Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers in German (Grundzahlen & Ordnungszahlen)

Learn Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers in German with meanings, rules, and examples. Perfect for German beginners and A1 students. Understand when and how to use numbers in daily life.

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🧮 What are Cardinal Numbers?

Cardinal numbers (Grundzahlen) are counting numbers – they tell “how many”.

📘 Cardinal Numbers 1–20

Number	German	English
1	eins	one
2	zwei	two
3	drei	three
4	vier	four
5	fünf	five
6	sechs	six
7	sieben	seven
8	acht	eight
9	neun	nine
10	zehn	ten
11	elf	eleven
12	zwölf	twelve
13	dreizehn	thirteen
14	vierzehn	fourteen
15	fünfzehn	fifteen
16	sechzehn	sixteen
17	siebzehn	seventeen
18	achtzehn	eighteen
19	neunzehn	nineteen
20	zwanzig	twenty

➡️ Rule: From 21 to 99, say “ones + und + tens”
Example:

• 21 = einundzwanzig (one and twenty)

• 35 = fünfunddreißig (five and thirty)

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🏁 What are Ordinal Numbers?

Ordinal numbers (Ordnungszahlen) show position or order — first, second, third, etc.

📗 Ordinal Numbers 1–20

Number	German	English
1st	der erste	first
2nd	der zweite	second
3rd	der dritte	third
4th	der vierte	fourth
5th	der fünfte	fifth
6th	der sechste	sixth
7th	der siebte	seventh
8th	der achte	eighth
9th	der neunte	ninth
10th	der zehnte	tenth
11th	der elfte	eleventh
12th	der zwölfte	twelfth
13th	der dreizehnte	thirteenth
14th	der vierzehnte	fourteenth
15th	der fünfzehnte	fifteenth
16th	der sechzehnte	sixteenth
17th	der siebzehnte	seventeenth
18th	der achtzehnte	eighteenth
19th	der neunzehnte	nineteenth
20th	der zwanzigste	twentieth

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📋 Rules for Forming Ordinal Numbers

1. From 1–19 → add “-te”
   ➡️ Example: vier → vierte, neun → neunte

2. From 20 onward → add “-ste”
   ➡️ Example: dreißig → dreißigste, hundert → hundertste

3. 1st, 3rd, 7th, 8th are irregular:

   • 1 → erste

   • 3 → dritte

   • 7 → siebte

   • 8 → achte

4. Ordinal numbers act like adjectives – they agree in gender, case, and number.
   ➡️ Example:

   • der dritte Tag (the third day)

   • am dritten Tag (on the third day)

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📆 Usage Examples

English	German
Today is the first of May.	Heute ist der erste Mai.
My birthday is on the fifth of June.	Ich habe am fünften Juni Geburtstag.
The second student wins.	Der zweite Schüler gewinnt.

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🧠 Quick Summary

Type	German Term	Function	Example
Counting numbers	Grundzahlen	How many	drei Katzen (three cats)
Position numbers	Ordnungszahlen	Order/rank	der dritte Platz (the third place)

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✅ Conclusion

Mastering Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers in German helps you talk about dates, rankings, and quantities with ease.
Start counting and ordering today —
👉 eins, zwei, drei… erster, zweiter, dritter! 🎯