neun
/nɔʏ̯n/
The German word for the cardinal number nine is neun.
Meaning: cardinal number (num)
Which one should you use?
The lowercase neun refers to the cardinal number, whereas the capitalized Neun is used as a noun when referring to the digit or figure 9 or to a playing card with nine pips.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When forming numbers like twenty-nine, German uses the pattern 'nine and twenty' (neunundzwanzig) rather than 'twenty-nine'.
How do you pronounce it?
/nɔʏ̯n/
Did you know?
- In German folklore, the number neun often appears in magical contexts, such as the nine worlds of Norse mythology which heavily influenced early Germanic culture.
- The phrase neun Uhr can be ambiguous because Germans often use a 24-hour clock, meaning neun could refer to 9:00 AM or 21:00.
- While neun is the standard German word, the Low German dialect uses negen, which sounds more like the Dutch version.
Examples in context
- Es ist neun Uhr.It's nine o'clock.This sentence is useful for stating the time of day using neun.Tatoeba #8472863 by Luiaard, translation #2714676 by CN
- Neunmal neun ist 81.Nine times nine is eighty-one.This sentence is useful for performing multiplication with neun.Tatoeba #10291586 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #10291467 by ddnktr
- Es ist fünf vor neun.It is five minutes to nine.This sentence is useful for expressing the time remaining before neun.Tatoeba #910491 by Sudajaengi, translation #72283 by CC
- In der gestrigen Präsentation waren neun Teilnehmer anwesend.Nine participants were present in yesterday's presentation.
- 272 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Felix are looking at a grocery store flyer.
- HannahWie viel kostet das Paket?How much does the package cost?
- FelixEs kostet nur neun Euro.It only costs nine euros.
- HannahDas ist ein guter Preis.That is a good price.
- FelixJa, wir nehmen zwei.Yes, we will take two.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nine” translations and entries neun, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
