German · A1 · Everyday language
Tiny Counting Games in German
Count fingers and familiar objects together using German numbers from one to ten.
What you'll learn
- Count from one to ten in German.
- Use “Hier ist” for one thing and “Hier sind” for more than one.
- Notice common plural forms.
German phrases for tiny counting games
Hier ist ein Löffel.
Here is one spoon.
Use “ein” for one before the masculine noun “Löffel”.
Hier sind zwei Socken.
Here are two socks.
One sock is “eine Socke”; two socks are “zwei Socken”.
Hier sind drei Lätzchen.
Here are three bibs.
“Lätzchen” stays the same in the singular and plural.
Hier sind vier Bausteine.
Here are four blocks.
“Bausteine” means toy building blocks.
Du hast hier fünf Finger.
You have five fingers here.
“Du hast” means “you have” when speaking to one child.
Schau, sechs Tassen!
Look, six cups!
“Schau!” is a friendly way to say “Look!” to one child.
Hier sind sieben Bausteine und acht Ringe.
Here are seven blocks and eight rings.
“Und” means “and” and joins the two groups.
Neun Finger, dann zehn Finger!
Nine fingers, then ten fingers!
“Dann” means “then”. “Finger” has the same form in the singular and plural.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
der Löffel
spoon
Plural: die Löffel.
die Socke
sock
Plural: die Socken.
das Lätzchen
bib
Plural: die Lätzchen. Nouns ending in “-chen” are neuter and do not change in the plural.
der Baustein
building block
Plural: die Bausteine.
der Finger
finger
Plural: die Finger.
die Tasse
cup
Plural: die Tassen. Usually a cup with a handle.
der Ring
ring
Plural: die Ringe.
Numbers from one to ten
Use “eins” when counting aloud. Before a noun in these sentences, use “ein” or “eine” for one. Numbers from two to ten do not change.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Counting aloud | eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf, sechs, sieben, acht, neun, zehn | Eins, zwei, drei! |
| One with a masculine or neuter noun | ein + noun | ein Löffel; ein Lätzchen |
| One with a feminine noun | eine + noun | eine Socke |
| Two or more | number + plural noun | zwei Socken; drei Lätzchen |
Here is and here are
Use “ist” for one thing and “sind” for more than one. German nouns always begin with a capital letter.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | Hier ist + singular noun phrase. | Hier ist ein Löffel. |
| Plural | Hier sind + plural noun phrase. | Hier sind vier Bausteine. |
Plural patterns
German has several plural patterns. Learn each noun with its plural rather than adding one ending to every noun.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Add -n | Socke → Socken; Tasse → Tassen | zwei Socken; sechs Tassen |
| Add -e | Baustein → Bausteine; Ring → Ringe | vier Bausteine; acht Ringe |
| No change | Löffel → Löffel; Lätzchen → Lätzchen; Finger → Finger | drei Lätzchen; zehn Finger |
More examples
Hier ist eine Socke. Hier sind zwei Socken.
Here is one sock. Here are two socks.
Add a second sock to practise “ist” and “sind”.
Schau, ein Ring und zwei Bausteine!
Look, one ring and two blocks!
Point to each group as you count.