German · Time, Numbers & Colors

"Seventeen" in German: siebzehn

siebzehn

Say it: ZEEP-tsaynnumber/ˈziːpˌt͡seːn/

Seventeen in German is siebzehn. Say Ich bin siebzehn or um siebzehn Uhr for 5 p.m. in 24-hour style. Note the spelling: siebzehn, not siebenzehn.

Age

Meine Schwester wird nächste Woche siebzehn.
My sister turns seventeen next week.
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How to pronounce siebzehn

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ZEEP-tsayn

/ˈziːpˌt͡seːn/

ZEEP-tsayn. Soft ie as ee. Soft z as ts. Soft eh in zehn.

"Seventeen" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
siebzehnseventeen

Cardinal number.

mit siebzehnat seventeen

Age talk.

siebzehn Uhr5 p.m. / 17:00

Clock time.

siebzehnteseventeenth

Ordinal (dates).

How to use siebzehn in real life

  1. 1Age

    Meine Schwester wird nächste Woche siebzehn.

    My sister turns seventeen next week.

    Wird siebzehn = turns seventeen.

  2. 2Meeting time

    Treffen wir uns um siebzehn Uhr am Tor?

    Shall we meet at five p.m. at the gate?

    Siebzehn Uhr = 17:00.

  3. 3Counting seats

    Wir brauchen siebzehn Stühle für die Gäste.

    We need seventeen chairs for the guests.

    Siebzehn + noun.

Mistakes English speakers make with siebzehn

Incorrect: siebenzehn

Correct: siebzehn

Standard spelling drops the -en: siebzehn.

Incorrect: seventeen Jahre alt

Correct: siebzehn Jahre alt

Use German siebzehn, not English seventeen.

Good to know

At 17 you can get a Begleitetes Fahren learner driving permit in Germany with conditions. Age talk stays blunt: Ich bin siebzehn is normal; people rarely soften numbers.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Planning a birthday gift budget

  1. ChatPal

    Wird er wirklich schon siebzehn?

    Is he really turning seventeen already?

  2. You

    Ja, siebzehn. Zeit vergeht zu schnell.

    Yes, seventeen. Time goes too fast.

  3. ChatPal

    Was schenkt man mit siebzehn?

    What do you give someone at seventeen?

  4. You

    Vielleicht Konzertkarten. Mit siebzehn zählt Erlebnis mehr.

    Maybe concert tickets. At seventeen an experience counts more.

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"Seventeen" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Seventeen" in German

How do you say seventeen?

Siebzehn.

Spelling tip?

Siebzehn, not siebenzehn.

At seventeen?

Mit siebzehn.

5 p.m.?

Siebzehn Uhr.

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