das Prozent
percent
One hundredth of a whole; a unit of measurement used to express shares and proportions.
EXAMPLE
Die Partei erhielt bei der Wahl 25 Prozent der Stimmen.
The party received 25 percent of the votes in the election.
das Prozent
percent
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
hundert Prozent
one hundred percent
A colloquial expression meaning 'completely', 'absolutely', or 'with complete certainty'.
EXAMPLE
Ich bin mir hundert Prozent sicher, dass ich die Tür abgeschlossen habe.
I'm one hundred percent sure that I locked the door.
Usage tips
No plural after numbers
A very important rule: after a number greater than one, 'Prozent' (percent) is always used in the singular. You say 'zwei Prozent' (two percent) or 'fünfzig Prozent' (fifty percent).
EXAMPLE
Die Miete wurde um fünf Prozent erhöht.
The rent was increased by five percent.
Word structure
The word 'Prozent' (percent) comes from Latin ('per centum') and literally means 'by the hundred'. This helps you remember its meaning as 'one hundredth'.
EXAMPLE
Fünfzig Prozent der Bevölkerung leben in Städten.
Fifty percent of the population lives in cities.
Colloquial expression
The expression 'hundert Prozent' (one hundred percent) is often used colloquially like an adverb and then means 'completely', 'absolutely', or 'definitely'.
EXAMPLE
Bist du sicher? – Ja, hundert Prozent!
Are you sure? – Yes, one hundred percent!
Indicating changes
To express a change in percent, you often use the verbs 'steigen' (to rise), 'sinken' (to fall), or 'wachsen' (to grow) with the preposition 'um' (by).
EXAMPLE
Die Arbeitslosigkeit ist um zwei Prozent gesunken.
Unemployment has fallen by two percent.
Compare with
Prozent vs Prozentsatz
percentage
Prozent is the unit for a share of one hundred, whereas Prozentsatz refers to the specific relative share stated as a percentage. In a number, the two words often appear close together. Say „fünf Prozent“ for the unit and „der Prozentsatz“ for the share being described.
Prozent
Der Rabatt beträgt fünf Prozent.
The discount is five percent.
Prozentsatz
Der Prozentsatz der verkauften Karten liegt bei fünf Prozent.
The percentage of tickets sold is five percent.
In real life
Loading video examples...