Dutch Grammar - Numeral System

Numeral System

Dutch uses a decimal numeral system, without vigesimal traces like some other European languages, e.g. English ("four score") and French (quatre-vingt). The base numbers, from which all cardinal numerals can be constructed, are:

Note that een is the same word as the indefinite article in the written language; as such, when confusion is possible, the number is often written as één to distinguish it from the article. They are always pronounced distinctly: een, unstressed, as /ɘn/, and één, stressed, with a full vowel, /eːn/.

The cardinal numerals from 21 to 99 (apart from the tens) are constructed in a regular way, by adding en (=and) and the name of the appropriate multiple of ten to the name of the units position. (The last written digit is actually pronounced first):

• 28 achtentwintig (literally "eight and twenty")
• 83 drieëntachtig (trema to mark diaeresis, to avoid confusion with ee)
• 99 negenennegentig

100 is honderd, 200 tweehonderd, 300 driehonderd and so on.

Numerals between 101 and 999 are constructed as follows:

• 112 honderdtwaalf or honderdentwaalf
• 698 zeshonderdachtennegentig

The same system used for naming the hundreds applies to the higher base numbers that are powers of ten. Dutch always uses the long scale system.

• 1 000 duizend
• 1 000 000 miljoen
• 1 000 000 000 miljard
• 1 000 000 000 000 biljoen
• 1 000 000 000 000 000 biljard

The cardinal numerals of numbers greater than 1000 are grouped in "multiples of 1000" or divided by points:

• 2 348 is tweeduizend driehonderdachtenveertig; 2.348
• 117 401 067 is honderdzeventien miljoen vierhonderdeenduizend zevenenzestig; 117.401.067.

For numbers up to 10 000, it is more common to use the hundreds. so for example:

• 1 282 is usually twaalfhonderdtweeëntachtig instead of duizend tweehonderdtweeëntachtig (although both are correct)

The decimal sign is a comma: 12 390,35 or 12.390,35.