English to German – Episode 4: Numbers, Days of the Week, and Months

Daniel Sep 08

Introduction

Welcome back to our English to German series! In this episode, we will dive into the basics that form the backbone of daily communication in German: numbers, days of the week, and months.

Numbers

The German numeric system is systematic, thus making counting more straightforward. Let’s begin with the basics, numbers from one to ten:

Eins (One)
Zwei (Two)
Drei (Three)
Vier (Four)
Fünf (Five)
Sechs (Six)
Sieben (Seven)
Acht (Eight)
Neun (Nine)
Zehn (Ten)

Fun Fact: When counting beyond ten, German numbers follow a unique compound word structure. For instance, twenty-one in German is “einundzwanzig,” which literally translates to “one and twenty.”

Days of the Week

Just like in English, a week in Germany consists of seven days. Here are the days of the week:

Montag (Monday)
Dienstag (Tuesday)
Mittwoch (Wednesday)
Donnerstag (Thursday)
Freitag (Friday)
Samstag (Saturday)
Sonntag (Sunday)

Did You Know?: Unlike English, where the week starts on Sunday for many, the German calendar traditionally starts the week on Monday.

Months

Next, let’s explore the months of the year:

Januar (January)
Februar (February)
März (March)
April (April)
Mai (May)
Juni (June)
Juli (July)
August (August)
September (September)
Oktober (October)
November (November)
Dezember (December)

Language Tip: Notice that unlike English, month names in German are not capitalized unless they are at the beginning of a sentence.

Practice

Now, it’s time to put your knowledge to test! Here are some activities to enhance your understanding:

Try practicing these new terms. Can you say your birthday in German?
How about today’s date?
What’s the seventh month of the year in German?
If today is Dienstag, what day will it be two days later?

Remember, practice makes perfect. Keep revisiting these basics and incorporate them into your daily conversations. In our next episode, we’ll delve deeper into the German language and explore common phrases used in daily interactions. Bis bald! (See you soon!)

English to German - Episode 10: Final Review