01
sechs
six
The cardinal number that follows five; the digit 6.
example
Ein Würfel hat sechs Seiten.
A die has six sides.
sechs
six
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Cultural context: school grade
In the German school system, 'eine Sechs' (a six) is the worst grade and means 'ungenügend' (fail). A good grade, by contrast, is 'eine Eins' (a one).
EXAMPLE
Er hat in der Matheprüfung eine Sechs geschrieben.
He got a six on the math exam.
Stating the time
To state a time, you use the preposition 'um' (at). The sentence 'Wir treffen uns um sechs' (We are meeting at six) can mean 6:00 in the morning or 6:00 in the evening. The context usually makes it clear.
EXAMPLE
Der Wecker klingelt jeden Morgen um sechs.
The alarm clock rings every morning at six.
In compound numbers
In two-digit numbers up to 99, German names the ones digit before the tens digit. The pattern is 'ones and tens', for example 'sechsundzwanzig' (six-and-twenty) for 26.
EXAMPLE
Meine Oma wird nächste Woche sechsundachtzig Jahre alt.
My grandma will turn eighty-six next week.
Use as a noun
The number 'sechs' (six) can also be used as the noun 'die Sechs' (the six). You use it, for example, for a bus line, a house number, or the result when rolling dice.
EXAMPLE
Du musst die Sechs nehmen, um zum Bahnhof zu kommen.
You have to take the six to get to the train station.
Compare with
sechs vs sechst
six
'sechs' and 'zu sechst' both have to do with the number 6, but they are used differently. 'sechs' simply names the number: 'sechs Bücher' (six books), 'sechs Personen' (six people), 'sechs Uhr' (six o'clock). 'zu sechst' describes a group of six people doing something together. Learners may confuse the forms because both sound like the same number. Memory tip: for the quantity, use 'sechs'; for a group of people doing an action, use 'zu sechst'.
sechs
Im Bus sitzen sechs Kinder aus der Klasse.
There are six children from the class sitting on the bus.
sechst
Die Familie geht heute zu sechst einkaufen.
The family is going shopping as a group of six today.
In real life
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