German · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 10
Wie ist deine Nummer?What is your number?
The numbers 1 to 10: eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf, sechs, sieben, acht, neun, zehn. And the question word wie (how/what). Watch the English trap: German says "Wie ist deine Nummer?" and "Wie heißt du?" — with wie, not was, where English uses "what". New vocabulary: number.
Dialogue
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Wie viele Personen?— How Many People?
- LukasMeine Familie hat fünf Personen: meine Eltern, zwei Brüder und ich.My family has five people: my parents, two brothers, and me.
- MikeIch habe eins Schwester und zwei Brüder.I have one sister and two brothers. (slip: eins; before a noun it's ein/eine)
- LukasVor einem Nomen sagt man „eine Schwester" — eins steht allein. Also hat deine Familie vier Personen.Before a noun we say "eine Schwester" — eins stands alone. So your family has four people.
- MikeJa! Eine Schwester, zwei Brüder und ich. Vier Personen.Yes! One sister, two brothers, and me. Four people.
Dialogue
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Wie ist deine Nummer?— What Is Your Number?
- LenaWie ist deine Nummer? Meine ist drei, zwei, eins.What's your number? Mine is three, two, one.
- MikeWas ist deine Nummer? Entschuldigung?What is your number? Sorry? (slip: was; German asks "wie ist…")
- LenaAuf Deutsch sagt man „wie ist deine Nummer" — mit wie, nicht was.In German we say "wie ist deine Nummer" — with wie, not was.
- MikeAh! Wie ist deine Nummer? Meine ist neun, acht, sieben.Ah! What's your number? Mine is nine, eight, seven.
Vocabulary
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- eins
numeralone
- zwei
numeraltwo
- drei
numeralthree
- vier
numeralfour
- fünf
numeralfive
- sechs
numeralsix
- sieben
numeralseven
- acht
numeraleight
- neun
numeralnine
- zehn
numeralten
- die Nummer
n.f.number (f)
- wie
pronounhow, what
Grammar
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The numbers 1-10 and wie
Explanation
The numbers 1 to 10: eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf, sechs, sieben, acht, neun, zehn. They don't change — only eins becomes ein/eine before a noun (ein Bruder, eine Schwester). The key point is the question word wie. Where English says "what", German often uses wie: "Wie ist deine Nummer?" (not "Was ist…"), "Wie heißt du?". Wie asks for a form, a name, a number; was asks for a thing or definition (ch13).
Examples
- Wie ist deine Nummer?What is your number? (lit. "how is your number")
- Ich habe zwei Brüder und eine Schwester.I have two brothers and one sister.
- Meine Familie hat fünf Personen.My family has five people.
- Wie heißt du?What is your name? (wie, not was)
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