zehn
/t͡seːn/
Ten in German is zehn.
The word zehn is the cardinal number used to count items or state a value between 9 and 11. You can also use the noun form Die Zehn to refer to the number itself as a concept.
Meaning: the cardinal number occurring after 9 and before 11 (num)
Which one should you use?
While zehn is the standard cardinal number, the ordinal number tenth is expressed as zehnte, created by adding the suffix -te to the base form. If you are referring to a playing card with a value of ten, the word Zehner is used, whereas Zehnerl refers to a denomination of currency with a value of ten.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As a cardinal number, zehn is indeclinable, meaning it does not change its form regardless of the gender or case of the noun it modifies. To form the ordinal number tenth, add the suffix -te to the word to get zehnte.
How do you pronounce it?
/tseːn/
Did you know?
- In a historical context, a Zehnt referred to a 'tithe', which was a one-tenth tax paid to the church.
- The term Zehnerl is a regional diminutive used primarily in Southern Germany and Austria to describe a ten-unit coin or note.
- The English word 'ten' and the German zehn both stem from the same Proto-Indo-European root, *déḱm̥.
Examples in context
- Es ist zehn Uhr.It's ten o'clock.This example shows how to use zehn when telling time.Tatoeba #8472866 by Luiaard, translation #2706996 by CN
- Er hat zehn Kühe.He has ten cows.This example shows how to use zehn to count animals.Tatoeba #1314629 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #295256 by CK
- Er hat zehn Söhne.He has ten sons.This example shows how to use zehn to count people.Tatoeba #2441458 by Tamy, translation #11913514 by sundown
- Die Antwort auf Ihre Frage ist zehn.The answer to your question is ten.
- Die Konferenz beginnt um zehn Uhr.The conference starts at ten o'clock.
- Gib mir bitte zehn Euro.Please give me ten euros.
- Ich habe zehnerweise Süßigkeiten gekauft.I bought candies in multiples of ten.
- Kannst du bitte zehn Stück Zucker in den Kaffee geben?Can you please put ten pieces of sugar in the coffee?
- Bitte notieren Sie die Zehn in Zahlen.Please write down the number ten.
- 1083 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Sarah are discussing the number of apples in a basket.
- LukasWie viele Äpfel sind in der Schale?How many apples are in the bowl?
- SarahIch glaube, es sind zehn Äpfel.I think there are ten apples.
- LukasZählst du sie bitte noch einmal?Will you please count them again?
- SarahJa, es sind genau zehn.Yes, there are exactly ten.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ten” translations and entries zehn, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries zehn, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
