elf
/ɛlf/
The German word for eleven is elf.
elf is the cardinal number used to denote the quantity of eleven, occurring after ten and before twelve.
Meaning: the cardinal number occurring after ten and before twelve (num)
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ɛlf/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers may mistakenly assume elf refers to the mythical creature, but in German, the word for the mythical creature is Elfe.
Did you know?
- The word elf is a linguistic survivor from a compound that originally meant 'one left' or 'one remaining' in ancient Germanic dialects.
- While elf is the cardinal number, the ordinal number for 'eleventh' is elfte, which follows a strict grammatical pattern unlike the irregular 'first' in English.
Examples in context
- Es ist elf Uhr.It's eleven o'clock.This sentence shows how to use elf when stating the time of day.Tatoeba #8472869 by Luiaard, translation #2714678 by CN
- Es ist jetzt elf.It's eleven now.This sentence demonstrates using elf to indicate the current time.Tatoeba #1599835 by Zaghawa, translation #12847983 by rul
- Er hat elf Kinder.He has eleven children.This sentence illustrates using elf to express a quantity of people.Tatoeba #2229934 by Vortarulo, translation #1392463 by CM
- Die Veranstaltung beginnt um elf Uhr.The event starts at eleven o'clock.
- Die Sitzung findet um elf Uhr statt.The meeting will take place at eleven o'clock.
- 96 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felix and Hannah are counting eggs in a basket.
- FelixWie viele Eier sind hier?How many eggs are here?
- HannahIch sehe nur elf Eier.I only see eleven eggs.
- FelixIst das elf?Is that eleven?
- HannahJa, genau elf.Yes, exactly eleven.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “eleven” translations and entries elf, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries elf, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
