große Zahlen
The German phrase for 'big numbers' is große Zahlen.
This phrase refers to numerical values that are high in magnitude.
What does it mean word for word?
The word große means 'big' or 'large' and Zahlen is the plural of Zahl, meaning 'number'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular form of the phrase is große Zahl. Additionally, in formal German, a dot (.) is used as a separator for thousands groups, such as in 1.234.567.
Did you know?
- When speaking große Zahlen, Germans often use a 'billion' to mean a million million. This is because the German Billion follows the long scale, whereas the English 'billion' typically follows the short scale.
- If you were counting aloud to create große Zahlen, the German way of forming numbers involves combining every single digit into one long, continuous word.
- The word Zahlen shares an ancient root with the English word 'tale', as both originally referred to the act of counting or recounting something.
Examples in context
- Ich hasse es, große Zahlen zu schreiben.I hate to write big numbers.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase große Zahlen.Tatoeba #1798911 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1798903 by Amastan
- eine Million zweihundertvierunddreißigtausendfünfhundertsiebenundsechzig1,234,567
- In der Mathematik sind große Zahlen wichtig.In mathematics, big numbers are important.
- Das Budget enthält viele große Zahlen.The budget contains many big numbers.
Example conversation
Hannah and Felix are studying mathematics together.
- HannahKannst du mir bei diesen großen Zahlen helfen?Can you help me with these big numbers?
- FelixJa, das ist eigentlich ganz einfach.Yes, it is actually quite simple.
- HannahIch finde große Zahlen immer so kompliziert.I always find big numbers so complicated.
- FelixDu musst sie nur in Gruppen teilen.You just have to divide them into groups.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries zahlen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
