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The year 1995 is read in English nineteen ninety-five.

This means we read the first two digits as a single number and then the next two digits, with the same rule.

Is this rule true in German?

I mean, should we read it as neunzehn-fünfundneunzig?

What about 2007?

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3 Answers 3

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In German generally (i.e. not just in Germany but also in Austria and in Switzerland), years are pronounced like this:

  • 1015 (ein)tausendfünfzehn
  • 1115 elfhundertfünfzehn
  • 1215 zwölfhundertfünfzehn
  • 1315 dreizehnhundertfünfzehn
  • ...
  • 1815 achtzehnhundertfünfzehn
  • 1915 neunzehnhundertfünfzehn
  • 2015 zweitausendfünfzehn
  • 2115 zweitausendeinhundertfünfzehn

Or in words, the numbers are pronounced normally except that from 1100 to 1999, XYAB is pronounced as XY hundert AB.

PS: The English style of pronouncing years is also used occasionally as it is shorter, but it's only borderline correct.

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    Additionally, following ponounciations are common: 2015: Zwanzigfünfzehn; 1945: Neuzehnfünfundvierzig; generally, its also common to split the number in two numbers and concatenate them, as long as there is no number <10 involved.
    – rhavin
    Commented May 16, 2015 at 15:03
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    2115 zweitausendeinhundertfünfzehn We'll see, we'll see..
    – TaW
    Commented May 17, 2015 at 3:30
  • @TaW: I agree this must change as the 22nd century approaches, but as it's quite likely that the English style will become standard way before that point anyway, I chose not to mention the fact.
    – user2183
    Commented May 17, 2015 at 8:20
  • Rarely, people say "zwotausendfünfzehn" as well.
    – ComFreek
    Commented May 17, 2015 at 9:44
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    @ComFreek: this is another story that has nothing to do with this topic. Zwo is actually only used instead of "zwei" on spelling long numbers - just to prevent one gets it wrong with the similarly sounding "drei"
    – äüö
    Commented Mar 27, 2018 at 7:10
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The year 1995 is read neunzehnhundertfünfundneunzig. You might also hear neunzehnfünfundneunzig, but that is more colloquial.

2007 is read as zweitausendsieben, although you sometimes hear zwanzigsieben.

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    Ich habe kein Problem mit zB zehn-sechzig (1060), und bevorzuge idR neunzehn-zwanzig (1920) statt etwa neunzehn-hundert-zwanzig. Ich halte das keineswegs für umgangssprachlich.
    – Ingmar
    Commented May 16, 2015 at 6:04
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    @Ingmar: Ich höre das nie. Muß also irgendwie geographisch oder anderweitig ungleichmäßig verteilt sein.
    – chirlu
    Commented May 16, 2015 at 6:29
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    @Mr Lister: The usual form for non-year numbers is tausendneunhundertfünfzig.
    – chirlu
    Commented May 16, 2015 at 10:06
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    I've never heard anyone use zwanzigsieben ever. Hearing neunzehnfünfundneunzig is quite rare, usually it's either neunzehnhundertfünfundneunzig or just fünfundneunzig when it's clear from the context which year is meant.
    – kapex
    Commented May 16, 2015 at 10:54
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    yes, but zwanzig-zehn or zwanzig-zwanzig are quite common, the former even idiomatic as in Agenda 2010..
    – TaW
    Commented May 16, 2015 at 18:02
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The same pattern holds true for all year-numbers between 1100 and 1999. Some examples:

  • 1453 "vierzehnhundertdreiundfünfzig",
  • 1500 "fünfzehnhundert",
  • 1806 "achtzehnhundertsechs".

But 378 "dreihundertachtundsiebzig" and 1077 "eintausendsiebenundsiebzig".

2007 would be "zweitausendsieben" and 2018 "zweitausendachtzehn"

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    That doesn't seem to add anything that isn't already covered in another answer, besides the hyphens, which look odd to me. Or am I missing something?
    – Robert
    Commented Feb 28, 2018 at 15:17
  • I answered as per the question, I did not check others.
    – David Mike
    Commented Mar 2, 2018 at 7:53

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