01
fünfmal
five times
Indicates that something happens or is repeated a total of five times.
example
Ich habe die Prüfung schon fünfmal nicht bestanden.
I have already failed the exam five times.
fünfmal
five times
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
Number adverbs like 'fünfmal' (five times) are formed from the cardinal number, here 'fünf' (five), and the word 'Mal' (time). This pattern applies to all numbers, for example 'zweimal' (twice), 'zehnmal' (ten times), or 'hundertmal' (a hundred times).
EXAMPLE
Ich habe dich heute schon dreimal angerufen.
I have already called you three times today.
Sentence position
As an adverb of frequency, 'fünfmal' (five times) answers the question 'Wie oft?' (How often?). It usually appears in the middle of the sentence after the conjugated verb and the subject.
EXAMPLE
Der Wecker hat heute Morgen fünfmal geklingelt.
The alarm clock rang five times this morning.
Spelling
You write 'fünfmal' (five times) as one word when it is an adverb describing repetition. When 'Mal' (time) is meant as a countable noun, it is written separately and capitalized: 'fünf Mal' (five times).
EXAMPLE
Ich habe den Film fünfmal gesehen.
I have seen the film five times.
Compare with
fünfmal vs fünft
fifth
'fünft' and 'fünfmal' look similar, but they do not mean the same thing. 'fünft-' is used for a position in a sequence, after the fourth and before the sixth. It has an ending, for example 'fünfter', 'fünfte', or 'fünftes'. 'fünfmal' is used when something has five repetitions or five occurrences. Learners may confuse the words because both have to do with the number five. Memory tip: 'fünft-' gives the place; 'fünfmal' gives the number of repetitions.
fünfmal
Karim ruft heute fünfmal beim Amt an, weil niemand ans Telefon geht.
Karim calls the office five times today because no one answers the phone.
fünft
Im Zug sitzt sie im fünften Wagen.
On the train, she is sitting in the fifth car.
In real life
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