A1.1 · 19 of 30

Sprechen: Zahlen & Preise

Lesson · 3 rules · about 3 min

Prices, platforms, phone numbers — numbers are what you'll say most, and three sounds make them sound truly German.

  1. 1z = ts, ei = eye, -ig = ikh
  2. 2Prices: euros, then cents
  3. 3Stress the first part
Why this matters

Numbers are the words you will say most often in a German-speaking country — prices at the till, platform numbers at the station, room numbers, your own age and phone number — and they are also the words most often misheard, because the German sounds are not the English ones. This exercise is pure sound: listen and repeat, from null to a price. Three sounds carry it: z is ts (zwei = 'tsvai', zwanzig = 'TSVAN-tsikh'), ei is 'eye' (drei, zwei), and the -ig at the end of the tens is a soft 'ikh', not 'ig'. Say each one three times, and say the price out loud the German way — euros, then cents.

Phrase 1 of 15

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zero (0)

Speech recognition isn't available in this browser — say the phrase out loud and move on when you're happy with it.