Brottin

TOPIC · Miscellaneous (Anders)

Units of measurement - Maßeneinheiten

A1

After this lesson you can understand common German measurement units and use them correctly with numbers in simple sentences.

In this lesson you learn common German units of measurement and how to use them correctly with numbers and nouns.

1Important units

The table shows frequent abbreviations and their full German names.

AbbreviationName
kmKilometer
mMeter
cmZentimeter
mmMillimeter
μmMikrometer
haHektar
m²Quadratmeter
m³Kubikmeter
lLiter
mlMilliliter
tTonne
kgKilogramm
gGramm
mgMilligramm
hStunde
minMinute
sSekunde
km/hKilometer pro Stunde
°CGrad Celsius

Note: Abbreviations have no dot in German: „5 kg“, not „5 kg.“.

2Numbers + unit

In German, units usually appear after numbers without article and without plural ending.

PatternExampleMeaning
Number + unit5 kmlength
Number + unit2 lvolume
Number + unit3 kgweight
Number + unit + noun2 l Wasseramount
Number + unit + von + Dativ200 g von dem Käsepart of something

Examples in sentences:

  • „Der Weg ist 5 km lang.“ (The way is 5 km long.)
  • „Ich kaufe 2 l Milch.“ (I buy 2 l of milk.)
  • „Wir brauchen 3 kg Kartoffeln.“ (We need 3 kg of potatoes.)

3„ein“ and plural with units

After „ein“ and „eins“ the unit keeps the basic form (no plural ending).

PatternExampleMeaning
„ein“ + unitein kmone unit of length
„ein“ + unitein kgone unit of weight
„eins“ + uniteins kmstressed number „eins“

In sentences:

  • „Der Laden ist nur ein km entfernt.“ (The shop is only one km away.)
  • „Das Paket wiegt ein kg.“ (The parcel weighs one kg.)

With other numbers the form stays the same:

  • „Das Auto fährt 130 km/h.“ (The car goes 130 km/h.)
  • „Das Zimmer ist 20 m² groß.“ (The room is 20 m² in size.)

4Unit or object?

Some words can be a unit and a normal object, for example „Glas“.

FunctionExampleMeaning
unitIch bestelle zwei Glas Bier.measure word, focus on quantity
objectIch habe zwei Gläser Bier.two physical glasses
object (fem.)Ich trinke zwei Tassen Kaffee.feminine noun, normal plural

Remember:

  • For neuter and masculine measure words you often see the unchanged form in standard German: „zwei Glas Bier“, „drei Stück Kuchen“.
  • For feminine words you use normal plural forms: „zwei Tassen Kaffee“, „drei Flaschen Wasser“.

5Useful phrases

  • „Der Tisch ist 2 m lang.“ (The table is 2 m long.)
  • „Die Wohnung ist 70 m² groß.“ (The flat is 70 m² in size.)
  • „Es sind 25 °C.“ (It is 25 °C.)
  • „Ich laufe jeden Tag 5 km.“ (I run 5 km every day.)

After this lesson you can talk about length, weight, time, temperature and quantity using basic German units.