01
drei
three
The cardinal number that follows the number 2 and comes before the number 4; the numeral 3.
example
Das Auto hat drei Jahre Garantie.
The car has a three-year warranty.
drei
three
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Meanings
01 / 03
Usage tips
Word structure
The number 'drei' (three) is the basis for many compound words. If you see 'drei-' at the beginning of a word, it almost always refers to the number.
EXAMPLE
Ein Kind mit einem Dreirad fuhr vorbei.
A child on a tricycle rode by.
Use as a noun
The number 'drei' (three) can also be used as a noun, for example to refer to a school grade or a house number. Then it is capitalized: 'die Drei' (the three).
EXAMPLE
Sie wohnt in der Hausnummer Drei.
She lives at house number three.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'nicht bis drei zählen können' (to be unable to count to three) is used to express that someone is perceived as very stupid or slow-thinking. It is never meant literally.
EXAMPLE
Frag ihn nicht nach dem Weg, der kann doch nicht bis drei zählen.
Don't ask him for directions; he can't even count to three.
Proverb
'Aller guten Dinge sind drei' (third time's the charm) is a well-known proverb. It is often used to encourage yourself or others when the first two attempts were unsuccessful.
EXAMPLE
Mein erster Kuchen war verbrannt, der zweite zu trocken. Aber aller guten Dinge sind drei!
My first cake was burned, the second was too dry. But third time's the charm!
Compare with
drei vs dritt
third
'drei' and 'dritt' are both connected to the number 3, but they are used differently. 'drei' simply gives the quantity: 'drei Bücher' (three books), 'drei Personen' (three people), 'drei Tage' (three days). 'dritt' is not used just as freely. It appears, for example, in 'zu dritt' (in a group of three / the three of us) when three people do something together. In compounds like 'Drittplatz' (third place) or in forms like 'jedes dritte Mal' (every third time), it is about the third position in an order. Learners confuse the words because both have to do with 3. A simple rule is: for a quantity, use 'drei'; for a group of three people or a third position, you need forms with 'dritt'.
drei
Im Garten spielen heute drei Kinder.
Three children are playing in the garden today.
dritt
Nach der Arbeit sind wir zu dritt nach Hause gefahren.
After work, the three of us went home together.
In real life
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