Telephone numbers and addresses
Wie ist Ihre Telefonnummer? – What is your telephone number?
Germans say telephone numbers as separate numbers like English numbers. So the number 02806 99 66 33 is:
null-zwei-acht-null-sechs, neun neun, sechs sechs, drei drei
But be aware that occasionally you will hear some people giving out their phone numbers in pairs.
Question
To practise understanding telephone numbers in German, listen to the numbers below. Check your answers below.
Telephone number (A)
Telephone number (B)
Telephone number (C)
- A:null-drei-sieben-zwei-vier, fünf zwei, null sechs, null - 03724 52 06 0
- B:null-drei-drei-null-eins, drei vier, acht neun - 03301 34 89
- C:null-sechs-fünf-eins, sieben, eins sechs, drei null - 0651 7 16 30
It is a good idea to learn to say your own telephone number in German in case you need it.
Did you know?
A postcode in German is called a Postleitzahl, but on forms and official documents you will often see the word abbreviated to PLZ. A Postleitzahl consists of five numbers – the first two numbers refer to the main town or area and the last three numbers refer to a suburb or village within the larger area.
German addresses are laid out differently from British ones. The number of the house comes after the name of the street, but the PLZ comes before the town.
Germans also note their own address on an envelope, either on the back of an envelope or in the top left-hand corner, in case it needs to be returned to sender – der Absender. This word is often shortened to Abs.
The names Max Mustermann and Erika, Maria or Anne Mustermann are the German equivalents of A.N. Other when you want to use a placeholder on an example.
