A1 Danish GrammarNumbers 1-100
Learn to count in Danish from 1 to 100. Danish has a unique vigesimal (base-20) counting system for numbers 50-99 that differs from other Scandinavian languages.
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1Numbers 1-12
The numbers 1-12 in Danish must be memorized. These are similar to other Germanic languages but with Danish pronunciation quirks.
Numbers 1-12
| Number | Danish |
|---|---|
| 1 | en/et |
| 2 | to |
| 3 | tre |
| 4 | fire |
| 5 | fem |
| 6 | seks |
| 7 | syv |
| 8 | otte |
| 9 | ni |
| 10 | ti |
| 11 | elleve |
| 12 | tolv |
Examples
Jeg har to børn.
I have two children.
to = two
Der er tre æbler.
There are three apples.
tre = three
Klokken er syv.
It's seven o'clock.
syv = seven
Hun er ti år gammel.
She is ten years old.
ti = ten
2Numbers 13-19
The teens are formed like English but written as one word with the unit first.
Numbers 13-19
| Number | Danish | Literal |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | tretten | three-ten |
| 14 | fjorten | four-ten |
| 15 | femten | five-ten |
| 16 | seksten | six-ten |
| 17 | sytten | seven-ten |
| 18 | atten | eight-ten |
| 19 | nitten | nine-ten |
Examples
Jeg er sytten år gammel.
I am seventeen years old.
sytten = seventeen
Det koster femten kroner.
It costs fifteen kroner.
femten = fifteen
Vi kommer om tretten minutter.
We'll arrive in thirteen minutes.
tretten = thirteen
Bussen går klokken atten.
The bus leaves at eighteen (6 PM).
atten = eighteen
3Tens (20-90) - The Vigesimal System
Danish uses a unique base-20 (vigesimal) system for 50-90. 'Halvtreds' (50) literally means 'half-third times twenty' = 2.5 x 20. This takes practice!
Tens
| Number | Danish | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | tyve | twenty |
| 30 | tredive | thirty |
| 40 | fyrre | forty |
| 50 | halvtreds | 2.5 x 20 |
| 60 | tres | 3 x 20 |
| 70 | halvfjerds | 3.5 x 20 |
| 80 | firs | 4 x 20 |
| 90 | halvfems | 4.5 x 20 |
50-90 are based on twenties!
Examples
Min bedstefar er firs år.
My grandfather is eighty years old.
firs = eighty (4 x 20)
Der er halvtreds studerende.
There are fifty students.
halvtreds = fifty
Hastigheden er halvfjerds.
The speed is seventy.
halvfjerds = seventy
Tyve kroner, tak.
Twenty kroner, please.
tyve = twenty
4Compound Numbers and 100
For 21-99, Danish puts the unit BEFORE the ten (like German). Twenty-one is 'enogtyve' (one-and-twenty). One hundred is 'hundrede'.
Compound Numbers
| Number | Danish | Literal |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | enogtyve | one-and-twenty |
| 35 | femogtredive | five-and-thirty |
| 48 | otteogfyrre | eight-and-forty |
| 67 | syvogtres | seven-and-sixty |
| 100 | hundrede | hundred |
Examples
Jeg bor på Storgade treogtyvve.
I live on Storgade 23.
treogtyvve = twenty-three
Det koster femogfyrre kroner.
It costs forty-five kroner.
femogfyrre = forty-five
Min mor er tooghalvtreds.
My mom is fifty-two.
tooghalvtreds = fifty-two
Der er hundrede personer.
There are a hundred people.
hundrede = hundred
Practice Exercises
3 exercises
What is 'twenty' in Danish?
How do you say 'twenty-one' in Danish?
What does 'halvtreds' (50) literally mean?
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