German Number to Words — Long Compound Words
The German Number to Words converter translates any number into its correct written form in German. German is famous for its compound words, and numbers are no exception — they can form surprisingly long single words.
The most distinctive feature of German numbers is that units come before tens, joined by "und" (and): 21 = einundzwanzig (one-and-twenty). This is the reverse order compared to English and Arabic. Combined with German's tendency to merge words, this creates some very long number words.
German Number Writing Rules
Units before tens with "und": 21=einundzwanzig, 99=neunundneunzig. Irregular: eins(1), zwei(2), drei(3)... elf(11), zwölf(12). Hundreds: einhundert, zweihundert... Thousands: eintausend (or just tausend for 1000), zweitausend... Millions: eine Million (feminine noun), zwei Millionen. Billions: eine Milliarde, zwei Milliarden.
Examples
- 21 = einundzwanzig
- 100 = einhundert
- 521 = fünfhunderteinundzwanzig
- 1,000 = eintausend
- 1,000,000 = eine Million
- 2,000,000 = zwei Millionen
- 1,000,000,000 = eine Milliarde
When Are Written German Numbers Used?
Bank checks in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland; official government documents (Behördendokumente); legal contracts; EU official documents; German language certifications (Goethe-Institut, DSH, TestDaF, ÖSD).