How to Count to 10 in German

You might want to learn how to count to 10 in German for traveling, working, or simply out of curiosity. Learning to count in German is as simple as eins, zwei, drei! German is a widely spoken language by over 100 million people worldwide, so this knowledge could come in handy for you.

Stretch your mouth when speaking. Learning German won't be effective if you don't pronounce the words correctly. Remember that Germans apply pressure to the sides of their cheeks when speaking. To sound more like a native, you need to hold your mouth in the right shape.

• When you open your mouth, it should resemble the shape of a large "o" or a small "u".
• Try watching German pronunciation videos to understand how to maintain the correct mouth shape. Some consonants and vowels in German are also pronounced differently from Vietnamese.

Learn how to pronounce German vowels. Although German shares similarities with Vietnamese, some vowels are pronounced differently. This is crucial when you start counting in German.

• In German, the diphthong "ei" is pronounced like "ai". For instance, the word "drei" (meaning three) is pronounced "drai". Similarly, the word "frei" (meaning free) is pronounced "frai".
• The opposite rule applies to the diphthong "ie", which is pronounced as "i". Thus, the diphthong in the word "vier" (four) is pronounced like "i".
• The diphthong "eu" is pronounced as "oy" in German.
• If you see two dots above a vowel, you must pronounce it differently. For example, the word for "five" in German is "fünf", where the "ü" is pronounced like "i" but with rounded lips.

Understand how to pronounce German consonants. One of the key differences between German and Vietnamese pronunciation lies in the consonants. Some consonants sound similar to their Vietnamese counterparts, while others do not.

• The consonant "v" in German is pronounced as "f". Therefore, you should pronounce it as "f" instead of "v" when saying the word for the number four in German.
• The letter "s" is pronounced like "z" when it appears at the beginning of a word, such as in "sieben" (seven in German).
• When the letter "r" appears at the end of a word, pronounce it lightly as "uh". The letter "r" is also pronounced very softly in the middle of words. Place your tongue against the roof of your mouth when pronouncing this sound.
• As a result, the German word for four, "vier", is pronounced "fia". When "z" starts a word, it is pronounced like "ts".

Start counting from 1 to 10 with the word "eins" (one). "Eins" is pronounced like "ainz". To pronounce this, say "ai" and add nz at the end. Counting to 10 in German becomes easier once you learn how to pronounce certain consonants and vowels correctly.

Count the number two as "zwei". In German, "zwei" is pronounced as "tsvy". The consonant combination "zw" is pronounced as "ts" instead of the usual "z" sound.

Count the number three as "drei". The pronunciation is "drai", with the "r" sound coming from the throat.

Use the word "vier" for the number four. The pronunciation of the consonants in this word differs from Vietnamese. "Vier" is pronounced as "fia", without a strong "r" sound at the end.

Say "fünf" for the number five. Pronounced like "fuunf", with an emphasis on the "u" to stretch the vowel sound.

Use the word "sechs" for the number six in German. Here, you’ll use the "z" sound. It is pronounced as "zecks".

Say "sieben" for the number seven. Pronounced as "zibhen", where the "s" at the beginning of the word is pronounced as "z".

Use the word "acht" for the number eight. The pronunciation of this word is "ahkt".

Say "neun" for the number nine. It is pronounced as "noyn".

Complete the counting step with the number ten, "zehn". Remember that in German, the "z" sound at the beginning of a word is pronounced like "ts"; therefore, "zehn" is pronounced as "tsehn".

• You'll also need to know how to say zero in German after mastering numbers 1 through 10. Zero is "null", pronounced as "nuul".

Learn how to count numbers greater than 10 in German. If you've mastered the basics of German pronunciation and can count past 10, it's easy to continue counting! This is quite simple.

• For numbers 13 through 19, add "zehn" after each number. For example, 19 is "neunzehn", and 18 is "achtzehn". Eleven is pronounced "elf" and twelve is "zwölf".
• Twenty is "zwanzig". To count numbers larger than 20, start with numbers 1-10, add "und", and then say "zwanzig". So, 21 is "einundzwanzig", which literally means "1 and 20" (the "s" in "eins" is dropped). Similarly, 22 is "zweiundzwanzig", and you can continue this pattern up to 29.
• Follow the same pattern up to 100, but instead of "zwanzig", use the numbers for 30 ("dreißig" - the "ß" is pronounced like "ss" and sounds like "s" in Vietnamese), 40 ("vierzig" - pronounced as "fiahtsig"), 50 ("fünfzig"), 60 ("sechzig"), 70 ("siebzig"), 80 ("achtzig"), and 90 ("neunzig"). The word for 100 in German is "(ein)hundert" (the "d" is pronounced as "t", and the "u" is pronounced as "uu").

Find native speakers. One of the benefits of the internet is that you can connect with native speakers of various languages, including German, for practice.

• Different language websites will link you with native speakers. Some even allow you to listen to pronunciation by hovering over letters.
• Search for German videos on YouTube, including counting videos from 1 to 10, so you can hear the correct pronunciation before speaking. Some websites use music and songs to teach both children and adults how to count in German.

Join an online language course or a university program. German is widely taught at universities, and you can easily find institutions offering the language in large cities. If not, you can look for online courses.

• You can also record yourself counting to 10 in German and listen back. This is one of the most effective ways to improve pronunciation.
• Traveling or living in Germany will significantly boost your German skills. Conversing regularly with native speakers is one of the best ways to learn a language.

• Try memorizing the first five numbers, then continue with the last five.
• In German, numbers are not capitalized unless they are transformed into nouns, such as "Ba..." or "Die Drei..."
• If you're serious about learning to count in German, consider finding a German teacher or using educational software.
• You can use flashcards to aid your learning.