01
elf
eleven
The cardinal number that follows ten and comes before twelve; the numeral 11.
example
Eine Fußballmannschaft besteht aus elf Spielern.
A football team consists of eleven players.
elf
eleven
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Number or time?
To distinguish between the number and the time, pay attention to the context. The preposition 'um' (at) almost always indicates the time. The question is also crucial: 'Wie viele?' (how many?) asks about the number, while 'Wie spät?' (what time?) or 'Wann?' (when?) asks about the time.
EXAMPLE
Wie viele Personen kommen? – Wir sind elf.
How many people are coming? – There are eleven of us.
Context: football
In football, the number 'elf' (eleven) has a special meaning. A team is often called 'die Elf' (the eleven), and a penalty kick is called 'der Elfmeter' because it is taken from eleven meters away.
EXAMPLE
Die deutsche Elf hat das Spiel gestern gewonnen.
The German eleven won the game yesterday.
Typical collocations
When 'elf' (eleven) indicates a time, it is often combined with prepositions such as 'um' (at, exactly), 'gegen' (around), or adverbs such as 'kurz vor/nach' (shortly before/after). The phrase 'Punkt elf' means 'exactly at 11 o'clock'.
EXAMPLE
Wir treffen uns gegen elf am Bahnhof.
We are meeting at the station around eleven.
Compare with
elf vs zwölf
twelve
'zwölf' and 'elf' are both numbers and come directly next to each other. 'elf' is 11, and 'zwölf' is 12. They are easy to confuse because both are short number words and are often learned together. But the difference is important, for example with times, prices, ages, or quantities. A simple guide is: after 'zehn' comes 'elf', and after that comes 'zwölf'.
elf
Im Kurs sitzen heute nur elf Personen.
There are only eleven people in the course today.
zwölf
Für den Ausflug brauchen wir zwölf Fahrkarten.
We need twelve tickets for the trip.
In real life
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