01
neunzig
ninety
The cardinal number 90, which comes between eighty-nine and ninety-one.
example
Der Zug fährt mit einer Geschwindigkeit von neunzig Kilometern pro Stunde.
The train is traveling at a speed of ninety kilometers per hour.
neunzig
ninety
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Meanings
Usage tips
Structure of tens numbers
The ending '-zig' is used in German to form the tens numbers from 20 to 90. 'Neunzig' (ninety) follows this pattern and means 'nine times ten'.
EXAMPLE
Meine Großmutter wird bald neunzig Jahre alt.
My grandmother will soon be ninety years old.
Years and decades
To describe someone's decade of life, you say 'in den Neunzigern sein' (to be in one's nineties). To refer to the decade from 1990 to 1999, people say 'die Neunziger' (the nineties) or 'die neunziger Jahre' (the nineties).
EXAMPLE
Mein Großvater ist schon in den Neunzigern.
My grandfather is already in his nineties.
Use as a noun
Although 'neunzig' (ninety) is a number, it can be used like a noun for a bus route, a room number, or a jersey number. In this case, it is capitalized.
EXAMPLE
Die Buslinie Neunzig fährt direkt zum Bahnhof.
Bus route Ninety goes directly to the train station.
Compare with
neunzig vs neun
nine
'neun' and 'neunzig' are both numbers and sound similar at the beginning. But the difference is big: 'neun' means 9, while 'neunzig' means 90. Learners may confuse the words because 'neunzig' starts with 'neun'. Pay special attention to the ending '-zig'. It turns a one-digit number into a tens number. In prices, quantities, and times, this confusion can quickly lead to a completely different meaning.
neunzig
Der Schrank kostet heute nur neunzig Euro.
The cabinet costs only ninety euros today.
neun
Für den Kuchen brauchen wir neun Eier.
We need nine eggs for the cake.
In real life
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