German A1 Lesson 2: Numbers 0–20 & How to Ask Someone's Age

A1

German · Basics · Lesson 2

German Numbers 0–20 & How to Ask Someone's Age

Deutsch lernen — Zahlen und das Alter

Numbers show up everywhere in daily German — phone numbers, prices, addresses, and one of the very first personal questions you'll get: your age. Once you know 0–20, you can already count, shop, and introduce yourself with confidence.

Numbers 0–20

German Word	Pronunciation	English Meaning
null	nool	0
eins	eyns	1
zwei	tsvy	2
drei	dry	3
vier	feer	4
fünf	fewnf	5
sechs	zex	6
sieben	ZEE-ben	7
acht	ahkt	8
neun	noyn	9
zehn	tsayn	10
elf	elf	11
zwölf	tsvurlf	12
zwanzig	TSVAHN-tsig	20

Tip: from 13–19, just add "-zehn" to the base number — dreizehn (13), vierzehn (14), and so on.

Asking & Telling Age

Wie alt bist du? How old are you? (informal)

Wie alt sind Sie? How old are you? (formal)

Ich bin … Jahre alt. I am … years old.

Example Conversation

Lena Hallo! Wie alt bist du? Hello! How old are you?

Tom Ich bin zwanzig Jahre alt. Und du? I am twenty years old. And you?

Lena Ich bin achtzehn Jahre alt. I am eighteen years old.

Practice Exercise

1. _______ (5) — count how many fingers on one hand.
   Show answer

   fünf
2. Wie _______ bist du? (How old are you?)
   Show answer

   alt
3. Ich bin zehn Jahre _______. (old)
   Show answer

   alt
4. _______ (12) comes right after elf.
   Show answer

   zwölf
5. _______ (0) is the German word for zero.
   Show answer

   null

Tip: Practice counting objects around you in German every day — your keys, your fingers, the stairs — numbers stick fastest through repetition.

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