German · Time, Numbers & Colors

"Two" in German: zwei

zwei

Say it: tsvighnumber/tsvaɪ̯/

Two in German is zwei. Say zwei Äpfel or wir sind zu zweit. In phone numbers people still say zwo for clarity sometimes.

Café order

Zwei Kaffee, bitte.
Two coffees, please.
Practice German out loud

Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free

How to pronounce zwei

Say it

tsvigh

/tsvaɪ̯/

tsvigh. Initial ts like cats. Ei like English eye.

"Two" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
zweitwo

Default number.

zu zweitas a pair / the two of us

People together.

zweimaltwice

Frequency.

zwotwo (clear speech)

Phones, military, noisy places.

How to use zwei in real life

  1. 1Café order

    Zwei Kaffee, bitte.

    Two coffees, please.

    Zwei + noun.

  2. 2Tickets

    Wir brauchen zwei Karten für heute Abend.

    We need two tickets for tonight.

    Zwei Karten.

  3. 3Plans

    Kommt ihr zu zweit oder zu dritt?

    Are you coming as two or as three?

    Zu zweit.

Mistakes English speakers make with zwei

Incorrect: zweie Äpfel

Correct: zwei Äpfel

Zwei does not take an -e before nouns.

Incorrect: zwei Uhr (for 2:00 alone often)

Correct: zwei Uhr / um zwei

Um zwei is common for at two o'clock; zwei Uhr is also fine with context.

Good to know

On the phone, some Germans say zwo instead of zwei so it is not confused with drei. In shops, zwei Euro is everyday cash talk.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Buying cinema tickets

  1. ChatPal

    Wie viele Sitze?

    How many seats?

  2. You

    Zwei, bitte, nebeneinander.

    Two, please, next to each other.

  3. ChatPal

    Zwei Tickets für Reihe fünf?

    Two tickets for row five?

  4. You

    Genau. Zwei ist perfekt.

    Exactly. Two is perfect.

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

Practice this conversation in ChatPal

"Two" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Two" in German

How do you say two?

Zwei.

The two of us?

Zu zweit.

Twice?

Zweimal.

What is zwo?

A clearer spoken form of two, used on phones and radios.

Learn a word, then use it out loud

  1. Step 1: See it in context
  2. Step 2: Say it out loud
  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

Keep reading

Ready to say it out loud?

ChatPal is a voice-first app for practicing real conversations in German. Try real scenarios and get personalized feedback on your speaking.

Start with 7 days free.