German · Time, Numbers & Colors

"Sixteen" in German: sechzehn

sechzehn

Say it: ZEKH-tsaynnumber/ˈzɛçt͡seːn/

Sixteen in German is sechzehn. Note the spelling: sechzehn, not sechszehn. In 24-hour time um sechzehn Uhr is 4 p.m. The ordinal is sechzehnte.

School

Der Kurs startet um sechzehn Uhr.
The course starts at 16:00.
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How to pronounce sechzehn

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ZEKH-tsayn

/ˈzɛçt͡seːn/

ZEKH-tsayn. Soft ch like ich. Soft z as ts in zehn.

"Sixteen" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
sechzehnsixteen

Cardinal; spelling drops the s of sechs.

um sechzehn Uhrat 16:00 / 4 p.m.

24-hour clock.

sechzehntesixteenth

Ordinal.

sechzehn Jahresixteen years

Age talk.

How to use sechzehn in real life

  1. 1School

    Der Kurs startet um sechzehn Uhr.

    The course starts at 16:00.

    Sechzehn Uhr.

  2. 2Age

    Mit sechzehn darfst du hier Moped fahren.

    At sixteen you may ride a moped here.

    Mit sechzehn.

  3. 3Counting

    Wir brauchen sechzehn Stühle für die Gäste.

    We need sixteen chairs for the guests.

    Sechzehn + noun.

Mistakes English speakers make with sechzehn

Incorrect: sechszehn

Correct: sechzehn

Standard spelling is sechzehn without the middle s.

Incorrect: sixteen

Correct: sechzehn

Use sechzehn.

Good to know

Sechzehn is a milestone age for mopeds and some youth passes. Spelling trips learners because sechs keeps s but sechzehn drops it.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Planning a late-afternoon meetup

  1. ChatPal

    Treffen wir uns um sechzehn Uhr?

    Shall we meet at 16:00?

  2. You

    Sechzehn Uhr ist perfekt.

    Sixteen o'clock is perfect.

  3. ChatPal

    Bring bitte sechzehn Kopien mit.

    Please bring sixteen copies.

  4. You

    Okay. Sechzehn Stück sind schon gedruckt.

    Okay. Sixteen copies are already printed.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"Sixteen" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Sixteen" in German

How do you say sixteen?

Sechzehn.

Spelling tip?

Sechzehn, not sechszehn.

At 16:00?

Um sechzehn Uhr.

Sixteenth?

Sechzehnte / der sechzehnte.

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