From 21 on, Dutch says the small number first and the ten second, linked with _en_ (and): 21 is _eenentwintig_, literally one-and-twenty, and 35 is _vijfendertig_. You write the whole number as one word. Ordinal numbers (the numbers for order: first, second, third) end in _-de_ or _-ste_, depending on the number.
The pattern
From 21 to 99, a number that is not a round ten is unit + _en_ + ten, written as one word: _vierentwintig_ (24), _achtenvijftig_ (58).
- The tens are _twintig_, _dertig_, _veertig_, _vijftig_, _zestig_, _zeventig_, _tachtig_, _negentig_. Check 30, 40 and 80: _dertig_, _veertig_, _tachtig_.
- After _twee_ and _drie_, _en_ gets a trema: _tweeëntwintig_, _drieëntwintig_, _tweeënveertig_.
- Say _honderd_ and _duizend_ without _een_: _honderd euro_. In contrast, _miljoen_ does take it: _een miljoen_.
- Bigger numbers go from big to small, and the last two digits follow the same pattern: _honderdvierentwintig_ (124).
- Write numbers as one word up to and including _duizend_: _tweehonderdvijftig_, _drieduizend_. After _duizend_ comes a space: _tweeduizend zesentwintig_ (2026).
- Ordinals: _eerste_ and _derde_ are irregular, _tweede_ simply adds _-de_. From 4 to 19, add _-de_: _vierde_, _tiende_, _achttiende_. The one exception is _achtste_ (8th).
- From _twintig_ to _negenennegentig_, and for _honderd_ and _duizend_, add _-ste_: _twintigste_, _eenentwintigste_, _honderdste_. Above _honderd_, the last part decides: _honderdtweede_ (102nd).
Examples
| Ik ben eenentwintig. | I am twenty-one. |
|---|---|
| Daan woont op nummer vijfendertig. | Daan lives at number thirty-five. |
| Fatima heeft zevenentwintig collega's. | Fatima has twenty-seven colleagues. |
| Mijn buurman is drieëntachtig. | My neighbour is eighty-three. |
| Mijn oma wordt honderd. | My grandma is turning a hundred. |
| Onze school heeft tweehonderdvijftig leerlingen. | Our school has two hundred and fifty pupils. |
| Vandaag is Priya's eerste werkdag. | Today is Priya's first day at work. |
| Joris woont op de derde verdieping. | Joris lives on the third floor. |
| Lotte is de achtste in de rij. | Lotte is eighth in the queue. |
| Sanne viert haar dertigste verjaardag. | Sanne is celebrating her thirtieth birthday. |
Why it works this way
Dutch builds 21 to 99 the way English once did in "four-and-twenty blackbirds": first the unit, then the ten. German and Arabic count like this too, so speakers of those languages mostly need new words. English and Spanish speakers have to flip the order, and that takes practice, not talent.
The ordinal ending goes on the last part of the number. In Dutch the ten comes last, so twenty-first becomes _eenentwintigste_, literally one-and-twentieth.
The trema is a reading aid. In _tweeentwintig_, three e's would run together. The dots show where a new syllable starts: _twee-en-twintig_. More in [The trema in ë and ï](#/lesson/trema-and-hyphen).
Listen carefully to the endings, just as in English: _dertien_ is 13 and _dertig_ is 30, _achttien_ is 18 and _tachtig_ is 80.
Remember: for 21 to 99, read the last digit first. For 47, your eyes jump to the 7, then back to the 4: _zevenenveertig_.
Watch out
- Not: _Ik ben twintigeen._ Say: _Ik ben eenentwintig._ (the unit comes first)
- Not: _Mijn opa is tweeentachtig._ Say: _Mijn opa is tweeëntachtig._ (trema after twee and drie)
- Not: _De fiets kost een honderd euro._ Say: _De fiets kost honderd euro._ (no een before honderd)
- Not: _Er zijn twee honderd vijftig stoelen._ Say: _Er zijn tweehonderdvijftig stoelen._ (one word up to duizend)
- Not: _Ik woon op de achtde verdieping._ Say: _Ik woon op de achtste verdieping._ (acht takes -ste)
Quick check
- Write 24 in words: _Mijn zus is ... jaar._
- Fix the sentence: _Ahmed woont op nummer tweeentwintig._
- Choose _twintigde_ or _twintigste_: _Bas viert zijn ... verjaardag._
- Write 150 in words: _De jas kost ... euro._
Answers
- _vierentwintig_: unit first, then _en_, then the ten, in one word.
- _tweeëntwintig_: after _twee_, _en_ needs a trema.
- _twintigste_: from _twintig_, ordinals end in _-ste_.
- _honderdvijftig_: no _een_ before _honderd_, and one word.
Use it today
On your next walk or bike ride, say the house numbers you pass out loud in Dutch. At home, write your age and your house number in words, trema included if you need one.