What’s your phone number? What’s your queue number? What number joke was that? From contact details to counting, number in German is a practical must-know word for learners — one that shows up far beyond just math class.
The German word for number is die Nummer, and the plural is die Nummern. It’s a feminine noun, and if you’re still wrapping your head around articles and gender, my video lesson on gender will get you sorted quickly.
Nummer is one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German, and its real power lies in how many everyday contexts it appears in — from official forms to casual conversation.
Here’s how Nummer works in the four grammatical cases:
Nominative:
Die Nummer stimmt nicht.
The number is incorrect.
Accusative:
Ich habe die Nummer aufgeschrieben.
I wrote down the number.
Dative:
Ich gebe dir später der Nummer.
I’ll give you the number later.
Genitive:
Das ist das Ende der Nummer.
That’s the end of the number.
Common phrases include Telefonnummer (phone number), Hausnummer (house number), Wartungsnummer (service number), and Startnummer (race number). Verbs you’ll often hear with Nummer are anrufen (to call), aufschreiben (to write down), verwechseln (to mix up), or geben (to give).
Interestingly, Nummer is also used to mean “act” or “scene” in casual speech — as in Was war das denn für eine Nummer? (“What was that all about?”) or eine heiße Nummer (a spicy affair). It’s a great example of how German uses simple words in expressive, idiomatic ways.
Adjectives that pair naturally include falsch (wrong), richtig (correct), geheim (secret), bekannt (known), or lustig (funny, especially in the sense of a “comedy number”).
Here’s a short dialogue with Nummer in action:
A: Kannst du mir deine Nummer geben?
B: Klar, warte kurz.
A: Can you give me your number?
B: Sure, hang on a sec.
Your turn! Think of your answer and say it out loud in German. Be sure to use Nummer or Nummern in your sentence.
“Welche Nummer hast du dir zuletzt merken müssen – und warum?”
What number did you last have to memorize — and why?
Speaking your answer helps activate the word in your real-life vocabulary.
German Word of the Day
You’ve now learned how to say number in German, and how die Nummer shows up in practical tasks, everyday phrases, and idiomatic expressions. Words like this unlock functional fluency fast.
Download the free illustrated PDF of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German to boost your vocabulary with visuals, examples, and real context.
Ready for more German Words of the Day?
Go back to Ohr — and explore how to talk about hearing and feeling.
Or review Onkel — and connect with everyday family vocabulary.