gerade Zahl
/ɡəˈraːdə tsaːl/word by wordfeminine
The English phrase "even number" is gerade Zahl in German.
The term gerade Zahl refers to a positive integer that can be divided by two.
Meaning: positive integer that can be divided by two (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The adjective gerade literally means straight or even in a geometric or numerical sense.
Which one should you use?
The opposite of gerade Zahl is ungerade Zahl, which means "odd number".
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of gerade Zahl is gerade Zahlen. Additionally, when used after certain prepositions like mit (with), the phrase takes the dative form geraden Zahl.
Did you know?
- The root of Zahl is also connected to the concept of 'fraud' via the Proto-Indo-European root 'del-', implying that 'reckoning' and 'deception' once shared a linguistic lineage.
- In German, gerade can also mean 'just' or 'right now', as in ich habe gerade gegessen ('I have just eaten').
- While gerade describes an even number, the word eben also means 'even' when referring to a flat surface or a balanced scale.
Examples in context
- Das ist eine gerade Zahl.It's an even number.Tatoeba #9165319 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #9165314 by DJ_Saidez
- Null ist eine gerade Zahl.Zero is an even number.Tatoeba #13701561 by Vortarulo, translation #13701547 by araneo
- Jede gerade Zahl, größer als zwei, ist die Summe zweier Primzahlen.Every even number greater than 2 is the sum of two primes.Tatoeba #8057347 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #8037684 by deniko
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maximilian and Hannah are playing a math game.
- MaximilianIst die sechs eine gerade Zahl?Is the number six an even number?
- HannahJa, das ist eine gerade Zahl.Yes, that is an even number.
- MaximilianUnd die sieben?And seven?
- HannahNein, die ist ungerade.No, that one is odd.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “even number” translations and entries gerade Zahl, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (gerade, Zahl) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Zahl, gerade, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
