A1 Lesson 21 — Adjective Endings: The Final Piece of A1 Grammar

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A1 Lesson 2 — Numbers 0-20 & Everyday Counting

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NUMBERS & COUNTING

Count Like a German

Learn numbers 0-20 with real-world examples: prices, phone numbers, ages, and addresses.

Calculator with visible numbers on a desk

Why This Matters: Numbers are ESSENTIAL. You need them for ordering food ("zwei Bier" = two beers), asking prices, telling your age, and giving your phone number. This is survival vocabulary.

🔢 Numbers 0-20 (German Numbers)

# German Pronunciation
0 null nool
1 eins EYNS
2 zwei TSVYE
3 drei DREY
4 vier FEER
5 fünf FUNF
6 sechs ZECKS
7 sieben ZEE-ben
8 acht AHKT
9 neun NOYN
10 zehn TSEHN
11 elf ELF
12 zwölf TSVURF
13 dreizehn DREY-tsehn
14 vierzehn FEER-tsehn
15 fünfzehn FUNF-tsehn
16 sechzehn ZECH-tsehn
17 siebzehn ZEEP-tsehn
18 achtzehn AHKT-tsehn
19 neunzehn NOYN-tsehn
20 zwanzig TSVAHN-tsig

🎯 Real-World Examples

🍺 Ordering Drinks

"Zwei Bier, bitte!" = "Two beers, please!"

You'll use this constantly at German restaurants.

☕ Ordering Food

"Drei Kaffee und fünf Kuchen." = "Three coffees and five pastries."

📞 Phone Numbers

German phone numbers: "Meine Nummer ist: null-acht-acht-neunzehn" (0881-19)

🎂 Ages

"Ich bin zwanzig Jahre alt." = "I am twenty years old."

🏠 Addresses

"Ich wohne in Nummer siebzehn." = "I live at number seventeen."

⚠️ Common Mistakes with Numbers

❌ Mistake 1: Confusing "zwei" and "drei"

When speaking, Germans sometimes say "zwo" instead of "zwei" (2) to avoid confusion with "drei" (3). Don't worry if you hear this — it's just for clarity on phone calls.

❌ Mistake 2: Forgetting the "s" in "sechs"

It's "SECHS" (6), not "SEK." The "s" at the beginning and "chs" at the end are both essential.

❌ Mistake 3: Not practicing out loud

✅ Fix: Say these numbers 10 times each, out loud. German numbers have a rhythm — you need to HEAR it to get it right.

💡 Insider Tip: German "Eins" vs. "Ein"

"Eins" = the number 1 (when counting alone)
Example: "Eins, zwei, drei..." (One, two, three...)

"Ein" = the article "a/an" (when referring to one thing)
Example: "Ich möchte ein Bier" (I want one beer) / "ein Haus" (a house)

This is a beginner's trap! Don't stress about it yet — you'll naturally pick this up as you progress.

✍️ Quick Quiz

Try counting these in German (write them down):
1. Your age
2. Your phone number (first 5 digits)
3. Count backwards from 10 to 1
4. Say: "I want two coffees and three pastries"

(Answers are in the downloadable PDF below)

📥 Download Your A1 Numbers PDF

Get flashcards, pronunciation practice guide, and the quiz answers.

📖 Next Lesson:

→ A1 Lesson 3: Days, Months & Telling Time

🔗 Related Posts:

Getting stuck on pronunciation? The audio guide in the PDF should help. If not, ask in the comments — we'll record it for you!

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