die
Anzahl
🔢 What does "die Anzahl" mean?
The word die Anzahl (feminine) refers to an indefinite or definite quantity of similar things or people that can be or have been counted. It expresses the quantity or the sum of elements.
There's only this one article ('die') and this one meaning for 'Anzahl'. It's a very common word in everyday life and in more formal contexts like reports or statistics.
Example: Die Anzahl der Teilnehmer war überraschend hoch. (The number/quantity of participants was surprisingly high.)
Article rules for der, die, and das
Numbers, calculations → almost always feminine.
Caution: When verbs are turned into nouns, the result is 'das Addieren', 'das Subtrahieren', 'das Multiplizieren', 'das Dividieren'.
📐 Grammar & Declension of "die Anzahl"
'Anzahl' is a feminine noun. It is mainly used in the singular, but can form a plural if different types of quantities are meant (rare).
Singular Declension
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Anzahl |
| Genitive | der | Anzahl |
| Dative | der | Anzahl |
| Accusative | die | Anzahl |
Plural Declension
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Anzahlen |
| Genitive | der | Anzahlen |
| Dative | den | Anzahlen |
| Accusative | die | Anzahlen |
Example Sentences
- Die Anzahl der Äpfel im Korb ist klein. (The number of apples in the basket is small. - Nominative Singular)
- Wegen der hohen Anzahl an Bewerbungen dauert die Auswahl länger. (Because of the high number of applications, the selection process takes longer. - Genitive Singular)
- Mit dieser Anzahl können wir nicht arbeiten. (We cannot work with this number/quantity. - Dative Singular)
- Wir müssen die genaue Anzahl der Gäste ermitteln. (We must determine the exact number of guests. - Accusative Singular)
- Die verschiedenen Anzahlen wurden in der Statistik verglichen. (The different quantities/numbers were compared in the statistics. - Nominative Plural - rare)
💡 How to use "die Anzahl" correctly
"Die Anzahl" is used to state the quantity of countable things or people.
- Typical Contexts: Counts, statistics, reports, specifying quantities in everyday life.
- Constructions: Often followed by "von" + Dative Plural (die Anzahl von Fehlern - the number of mistakes) or a Genitive Plural (die Anzahl der Fehler - the number of the mistakes - more common and stylistically better).
- Difference from "Zahl": "Zahl" often refers to the abstract mathematical concept or a digit (e.g., house number, phone number), whereas "Anzahl" refers to the quantity or count of something. Die Zahl 5 ist eine Primzahl. (The number 5 is a prime number.) Die Anzahl der Stühle ist 5. (The number/quantity of chairs is 5.)
- Difference from "Nummer": "Nummer" usually denotes an identifier or a position in a sequence (e.g., ticket number, seat number). Meine Nummer ist die 7. (My number is 7.) Die Anzahl der freien Plätze ist gering. (The number/quantity of free seats is low.)
⚠️ Be careful not to confuse "Anzahl" with "Nummer" or the abstract "Zahl", even though the English translation is often "number".
🧠 Mnemonics for "die Anzahl"
For the article 'die': Think of 'die Menge' (the quantity) or 'die Quantität' (the quantity) – both are feminine, just like die Anzahl. Or imagine a woman (die Frau) carefully counting things to determine the Anzahl.
For the meaning 'number/quantity': The word contains "Zahl" (number). Imagine you look an (at) a Zahl (number) that tells you how many items there are – that's the Anzahl.
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (Words with similar meaning):
- Menge (die): (quantity, amount) Often interchangeable, but 'Menge' can also refer to uncountable things (e.g., eine Menge Sand - an amount of sand).
- Quantität (die): (quantity) More formal or technical.
- Ziffer (die): (digit) Refers to the written symbol of a number, not the quantity.
- Summe (die): (sum, total) Emphasizes the result of an addition, but can also mean the total number.
Antonyms (Opposites):
- Antonyms depend on context. One might say:
- Einzelheit (die) / Einzelexemplar (das): (detail / single item) Focus on one element instead of the quantity.
- Qualität (die): (quality) As opposed to quantity.
⚠️ Similar Words:
😂 A Little Joke
Teacher asks: "Wenn du 5 Äpfel hast und noch 3 dazu bekommst, was ist dann das Ergebnis?"
Student: "Eine größere Anzahl von Äpfeln, die ich nicht teilen will!"
Translation:
Teacher asks: "If you have 5 apples and get 3 more, what's the result?"
Student: "A larger number of apples that I don't want to share!"
📜 Poem about Anzahl
Die Sterne am Himmel, welch große Anzahl,
man zählt sie vergebens, ein endloser Schall.
Die Regentropfen, die leis' niederfallen,
ihre Anzahl zu schätzen, wer wollt' es versuchen in allen Hallen?
Doch zählbar wird manches, was das Leben uns gibt,
die Anzahl der Freunde, die man herzlich liebt.
Translation:
The stars in the sky, what a great number/quantity,
counting them is futile, an endless sound.
The raindrops, softly falling down,
to estimate their number, who would try in any town?
But some things life gives us are countable indeed,
the number of friends, whom one loves with all need.
🧩 Riddle
Ich sage dir, wie viele es sind,
ob groß oder klein, ob langsam, ob geschwind.
Ich bin keine Ziffer, doch häng' an ihr dran,
bestimme die Menge, so gut ich es kann.
Was bin ich?
Lösung: die Anzahl
Translation:
I tell you how many there are,
whether big or small, whether slow or fast by far.
I am not a digit, but I'm related, you see,
I determine the quantity, as best as can be.
What am I?
Solution: die Anzahl (the number/quantity)
ℹ️ More about "Anzahl"
Word Origin (Wortherkunft)
The word "Anzahl" is composed of the prefix "an" (at, to, on) and the noun "Zahl" (number). It implies approaching or determining a number (quantity).
Typical Collocations (Typische Verbindungen)
- eine große/kleine/hohe/geringe Anzahl (a large/small/high/low number)
- die genaue/exakte Anzahl (the exact number)
- die Anzahl steigt/sinkt/nimmt zu/nimmt ab (the number increases/decreases/grows/shrinks)
- die Anzahl von/der Teilnehmer(n) (the number of participants)
Summary: is it der, die or das Anzahl?
The correct article for "Anzahl" is always die. It is a feminine noun: die Anzahl.