In German
eins
Meaning: 1 (one, the number)
Example sentences
EsisteinUhrnachts.
It's one o'clock at night.
EinszunullfürDeutschland!
One nil to Germany!
DieZahleinsstehtamAnfang.
The number one comes first.
Grammar note
“Eins” is the number as a digit or on its own. Before an hour or a noun Germans use “ein”: “ein Uhr” (one o'clock), not “eins Uhr”.
Common mistake
Don't say “eins Uhr”. For the hour, it's “ein Uhr”, because “Uhr” makes “ein” the right form.
Quick check
Which is the German for the number 1?
More words on this topic
Keep learning German
Practise it in a lesson →Frequently asked questions
Why “ein Uhr” and not “eins Uhr”?
Before a noun, the number takes the article form “ein”, as in “ein Buch”. The time “ein Uhr” follows that rule.
What is 1 in German when you're counting?
“Eins”, as in “eins, zwei, drei”.