sieben
/ˈziːbən/
The German word for seven is sieben.
sieben is the cardinal number 7. In the sequence of counting, it follows sechs and precedes acht.
Meaning: cardinal number 7 (num)
Which one should you use?
The cardinal number sieben is spelled identically to the verb sieben (to sift), although the verb is much less common in everyday speech. Additionally, the noun Sieben refers specifically to the figure seven.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈziːbən/
Did you know?
- The verb 'to sift' is thought to be related to the number through the word 'Sieb', meaning 'sieve'.
- The expression sieben Jahre Pech refers to the superstition that breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck.
- In German folklore, the number sieben is often associated with the 'seven dwarfs' or the 'seven swans' in classic fairy tales.
Examples in context
- Es ist sieben Uhr.It's seven o'clock.This example shows how to use sieben to tell the time.Tatoeba #900500 by Esperantostern, translation #875819 by CM
- Er hat sieben Söhne.He has seven sons.This example shows how to use sieben to quantify people.Tatoeba #907767 by Esperantostern, translation #2698783 by WestofEden
- Es ist jetzt sieben.It is seven now.This example shows how to use sieben to indicate the current time.Tatoeba #1227836 by samueldora, translation #241586 by CK
- Es sind sieben Äpfel in der Schüssel.There are seven apples in the bowl.
- Ich habe sieben Tage Urlaub.I have seven days off.
- Das Hotelzimmer kostet siebentausend Euro pro Nacht.The hotel room costs seven thousand euros per night.
- 429 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Maximilian are discussing a shopping list at home.
- JuliaWie viele Eier brauchen wir?How many eggs do we need?
- MaximilianWir brauchen genau sieben Eier.We need exactly seven eggs.
- JuliaIst das genug für den Kuchen?Is that enough for the cake?
- MaximilianJa, sieben reicht vollkommen aus.Yes, seven is perfectly enough.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “seven” translations and entries sieben, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sieben, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
