anderthalb
/andərthalb/
The German phrase for "one and a half" is anderthalb. Wiktionary also lists eineinhalb.
Meaning: one and a half (num)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| anderthalb | /andərthalb/ |
| eineinhalb | /ˈaɪ̯naɪ̯nˌhalp/ |
Both anderthalb and eineinhalb are used to express the quantity of one and a half of something.
Which one should you use?
While anderthalb and eineinhalb are largely interchangeable, anderthalb is more common in spoken German and eineinhalb is often perceived as slightly more formal or precise.
How does it change in a sentence?
The forms anderthalb and eineinhalb are indeclinable, meaning they do not change their endings based on the gender or case of the noun they modify.
How do you pronounce it?
/andərthalb/
Did you know?
- If you say halb zwei in German, you are not describing a half of two, but actually communicating the time 'one thirty'.
- The word anderthalb contains a linguistic fossil where ander originally meant 'second' rather than 'other'. It is the only surviving piece of an ancient German system for expressing fractions using ordinal numbers.
Examples in context
- Der Schnee lag anderthalb Meter hoch.The snow lay one-and-a-half metres deep.This sentence shows the use of anderthalb with a measurement of depth.Tatoeba #2352203 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #12075526 by sundown
- Er lernte jeden Tag anderthalb Stunden.He studied for one and a half hours every day.This sentence shows how to use anderthalb when describing a duration of time.Tatoeba #2215486 by Zaghawa, translation #303890 by sundown
- Anderthalb Stunden sind neunzig Minuten.One and a half hours are ninety minutes.This sentence demonstrates the use of anderthalb in a mathematical context.Tatoeba #6207514 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #6207527 by carlosalberto
- Ich habe eineinhalb Stunden für das Meeting eingeplant.I have allocated one and a half hours for the meeting.
- Kann ich bitte eineinhalb Bier haben?Can I have one and a half beers, please?
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Julian are discussing a cooking recipe.
- HannahWie viel Zucker brauchen wir für den Kuchen?How much sugar do we need for the cake?
- JulianWir brauchen genau anderthalb Kilo Zucker.We need exactly one and a half kilos of sugar.
- HannahDas ist wirklich viel Zucker, oder?That is really a lot of sugar, isn't it?
- JulianJa, aber das Rezept ist sehr süß.Yes, but the recipe is very sweet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “one and a half” translations and entries anderthalb, eineinhalb, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries anderthalb, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
