die Nummer 9
In German, "the number 9" is translated as die Nummer 9.
die Nummer 9 is used to refer to a digit in a sequence, such as a house number or a player's number on a jersey.
Which one should you use?
While die Nummer 9 refers to a digit in a sequence, use die Zahl 9 when referring to the mathematical value or quantity.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun Nummer is feminine, so it takes the feminine definite article die.
Did you know?
- In German football, a player wearing die Nummer 9 is traditionally the center forward and the primary goal scorer.
- While Nummer is feminine in German, its ancestors numero in Italian and numerus in Latin were masculine.
- The feminine gender of Nummer is believed to be a linguistic quirk caused by the influence of the word Zahl, which also means 'number' and is feminine.
Examples in context
- Die Telefonnummer ist eins-null-null-zwei-sieben-drei-vier-neun.The phone number is 10027349.
- Mein Flug geht um neun Uhr.My flight leaves at 9 o'clock.
- Wir treffen uns am neunten Dezember.We're meeting on the ninth of December.
- Können wir uns heute um neun Uhr treffen?Can we meet today at 9 o'clock?
- Ich habe neun Äpfel gekauft.I bought nine apples.
- Wie viele Stunden hast du geschlafen? Neun!How many hours did you sleep? Nine!
- Die Nummer 9 steht auf dem Schild.The number 9 is on the sign.
- Ich habe die Nummer 9 gewählt.I dialed the number 9.
- Wähle bitte die Nummer 9 für den Support.Please dial the number 9 for support.
Example conversation
Hannah and Maximilian are looking at a menu.
- HannahWelches Gericht möchtest du bestellen, Maximilian?Which dish would you like to order, Maximilian?
- MaximilianIch nehme die Nummer 9.I'll take number 9.
- HannahIst das die Pasta mit Tomaten?Is that the pasta with tomatoes?
- MaximilianJa, genau die.Yes, exactly that one.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Nummer, die, CC BY-SA 4.0.
