Danish Numbers
Danish numbers are short and useful — but they include some of the most distinctive vocabulary in the language. The tens from 50 to 90 come from an old base-20 (vigesimal) system, and compound numbers are built unit-first (tooghalvtreds for 52). Once you've internalised those two patterns, the rest is mostly memorisation.
The pages below walk you through it step by step — start with counting to 10, then work up through the teens, tens, and compounds. Once you can read a Danish phone number out loud, you've got the system.
Why are Danish numbers infamous?
The 50–90 range is built around “scores” (groups of 20). Halvtreds (50) literally means “half-way to the third score” — 2½ × 20. Most Danes don't think about the etymology; they just memorise the words. We recommend you do the same: learn halvtreds, tres, halvfjerds, firs, halvfems as vocabulary and move on.
Learn to count
Start here. The pages below walk through the cardinal numbers in the order most learners find easiest — small numbers first, then the teens, then the deceptively tricky tens (50–90), and finally how to combine them. If you only deep-dive on one section, make it 20–100; that's where Danish numbers go from obvious to confusing.
Danish Numbers 1–10
Start with the basics — learn the Danish words for numbers one through ten.
Danish Numbers 11–20
The teens in Danish have their own unique words. Learn elleve, tolv, tretten, and the rest.
Danish Numbers 20–100
Danish tens are famously unusual — halvtreds, tres, halvfjerds. Learn the full set from 20 to 100.
Danish Compound Numbers (21–99)
InteractiveIn Danish, you say the unit before the ten: 21 is "en og tyve" (one and twenty). Practice building compound numbers.
Numbers in real life
Once the basic numbers feel familiar, these pages cover where you'll actually meet them. Ordinal numbers come up in dates and rankings; prices and money you'll hear at every till; dates and phone numbers each have their own quirks worth learning before you need them in conversation.
Danish Ordinal Numbers
First, second, third — how to express order in Danish (første, anden, tredje), plus the rules for higher ordinals.
Danish Prices & Money
Danish kroner and øre, how to read prices, and the number patterns you'll hear at the supermarket and restaurant.
Danish Dates & Years
Saying the date, the year, and your birthday in Danish — including the ordinal numbers and the unusual way Danes write dates.
Danish Phone Numbers
How Danish phone numbers are read aloud (in pairs), country codes, and the format Danes actually use.
Word lists
Curated Danish vocabulary by topic — food, family, work, and more.
Grammar guides
Word order, noun gender, verb tenses, and the rules that hold Danish together.
Reading exercises
Short Danish texts with comprehension questions — practise numbers in real sentences.
Frequently asked questions
Why are Danish numbers so confusing?
The tens from 50 to 90 come from an old vigesimal (base-20) counting system. Words like halvtreds (50) and halvfjerds (70) literally mean "half-way to the third score" and "half-way to the fourth score". Most Danes don't think about the etymology — they just learn the words — and that's the best approach.
Do Danes really say 'two-and-fifty' for 52?
Yes — Danish compound numbers from 21 to 99 are unit-first, just like German. 52 is tooghalvtreds ("two and fifty"), 87 is syvogfirs ("seven and eighty"). It feels backwards if you're coming from English, but it's the same rule every time.
What's the easiest way to learn Danish numbers?
Work through them in order. Master 1–10 first (they're short and used constantly), then the teens, then the round tens. The tens are the hardest part — once those stick, compound numbers like 47 (syvogfyrre) come for free.
Do Danes use written numbers (47) or words (syvogfyrre) more?
Written digits, almost always. You'll see digits on price tags, schedules, signs, and forms. The Danish words for numbers come up most when you're listening — at the checkout, on the phone, or in everyday conversation.