dreißig
/ˈdʁaɪ̯sɪç/feminine
The German word for thirty is dreißig.
dreißig is the cardinal number used to represent the quantity or age of thirty.
Meaning: cardinal number (num)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of drei (three) and the suffix -ßig, which is used to form a tens number.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In parts of Westphalia, the term drissig is used instead of dreißig.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈdʁaɪ̯sɪç/
Did you know?
- While dreißig is the only tens-number written with the ß character, all other multiples of ten like vierzig or fünfzig use the standard z.
- While dreißig means the number thirty, die Dreißiger can refer to an entire generation of people born in the 1930s or people in their thirties.
- The suffix -zig in dreißig comes from an ancient Proto-Germanic word meaning 'a group of ten', effectively making the word 'three tens'.
Examples in context
- Er ist über dreißig.He's over thirty.This sentence is useful for expressing that someone is over the age of thirty using dreißig.Tatoeba #8218684 by driini, translation #1173737 by CK
- Ich bin über dreißig.I'm over thirty.Tatoeba #8328725 by MisterTrouser, translation #2549499 by CK
- Ich bin jetzt dreißig.I'm thirty now.This sentence is useful for stating one's current age of thirty using dreißig.Tatoeba #2765321 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2765317 by CK
- Ich bin dreißig Jahre alt.I am thirty years old.
- 428 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felix and Hannah are discussing the price of a book.
- FelixKostet das Buch dreißig Euro?Does the book cost thirty euros?
- HannahNein, es kostet nur zwanzig.No, it only costs twenty.
- FelixDas ist aber günstig.That is quite cheap.
- HannahJa, das finde ich auch.Yes, I think so too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thirty” translations and entries dreißig, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dreißig, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
