die / das  Hundert

A2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈhʊndɐt/

💯 Unpacking 'Hundert': What Does It Mean?

The German word Hundert means one hundred. When used as a noun, it can take different articles, leading to specific nuances:

• die Hundert (feminine): Often refers to a specific quantity or group of one hundred units. It can also denote a specific hundred mark (e.g., in sports) or a 'Hundertschaft' (a group of 100 people).

  Example: "Die erste Hundert Kilometer haben wir schon geschafft." (We've already managed the first hundred kilometers.)

• das Hundert (neuter): Refers to the number 100 as a digit, value, or abstract concept. It is frequently used in the context of percentages (e.g., "vom Hundert" or "Prozent", meaning "per hundred"). It can also denote an unspecified quantity of one hundred items, similar to "a dozen".

  Example: "Zehn vom Hundert der Befragten stimmten zu." (Ten percent of those surveyed agreed.) or "Er kaufte ein Hundert Eier." (He bought a hundred eggs. - this usage is somewhat archaic; today, one would more likely say "hundert Eier").

🚨 Attention: Most commonly, "hundert" is used as an indeclinable numeral directly preceding a noun: "hundert Menschen" (one hundred people), "hundert Euro" (one hundred euros). The nominalized forms "die Hundert" and "das Hundert" are more specific in their application.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🔢 The Grammar of 'Hundert': Declining Numbers with Confidence

The declension of Hundert depends on the article used and its meaning.

Die Hundert (feminine)

Used to denote a specific group or unit of one hundred.

Example sentences for die Hundert:

• "Die Hundert ist voll!" (The hundred is complete! / We've reached 100!)
• "Nach der ersten Hundert verkaufter Artikel gab es Sekt." (After the first hundred items sold, there was sparkling wine.)
• "Viele Hunderte von Touristen besuchten die Stadt." (Many hundreds of tourists visited the city.)

Das Hundert (neuter)

Used for the number as a concept or in the phrase "vom Hundert" (percent). It can also refer to a quantity of one hundred.

Example sentences for das Hundert:

• "Fünfzig ist die Hälfte von Hundert." (Fifty is half of one hundred. Often without article, but if nominalized: "des Hunderts")
• "Er rechnete zehn vom Hundert aus." (He calculated ten percent.)
• "Das Hundert als Zahl hat zwei Nullen." (The number one hundred has two zeros.)

Hundert as a numeral (indeclinable)

Most commonly, "hundert" is used as a simple numeral before a noun and remains unchanged.

Examples:

• "Ich habe hundert Euro." (I have one hundred euros.)
• "Es waren hundert Gäste anwesend." (There were one hundred guests present.)

🎯 Everyday Application: When to Say What with Hundert?

Choosing between "die Hundert", "das Hundert", and the simple numeral "hundert" depends on the context:

• die Hundert: Use this when referring to a specific, complete set of one hundred things or people. Example: "Die letzte Hundert Meter vor dem Ziel waren die härtesten." (The last hundred meters before the finish line were the toughest.) Or when it's about a unit: "Sie gehört zur zweiten Hundert der Auszubildenden." (She belongs to the second hundred of trainees.)
• das Hundert: This form is appropriate when you emphasize the number 100 as an abstract value or in mathematical contexts, especially with percentages ("vom Hundert"). Example: "Bei Prozentrechnung ist das Hundert die Basis." (In percentage calculation, one hundred is the base.) or "Ein Viertel sind fünfundzwanzig vom Hundert." (A quarter is twenty-five percent.)
• hundert (numeral): This is the standard form to simply state a quantity of 100. Example: "Ich brauche hundert Gramm Mehl." (I need one hundred grams of flour.)

In many cases where one might say "eine Hundert" (a hundred), "hundert" (lowercase as a numeral) is also common and often more natural: "Er hat hundert Bücher gelesen." (He has read a hundred books.) instead of "Er hat eine Hundert Bücher gelesen." (The latter is grammatically possible but less common).

Compare:

• "Er hat hundert Schafe." (He has one hundred sheep. - simple quantity)
• "Er hat eine Hundert Schafe verkauft." (He sold a hundred sheep. - emphasizes a group/unit of one hundred)
• "Die Hundert Schafe auf dieser Weide sind gesund." (The hundred sheep in this pasture are healthy. - a specific, known group of one hundred)

💡 Mnemonics for Hundert

Article Mnemonic:

Imagine: DIE company (feminine, like 'die Kompanie') consists of eine Hundert soldiers. DAS (neuter, like 'das Konzept') concept of percent is calculated 'vom Hundert'.

Meaning Mnemonic:

"Hundert" sounds a bit like "hunt red". Imagine you're on a treasure hunt for a red chest containing exactly 100 gold coins!

🔄 Similar and Opposite Terms

Synonyms for Hundert (the number 100):

• Einhundert (one hundred)
• Zehn mal zehn (ten times ten)

Synonyms for "a quantity of one hundred" (often "die Hundert" or "ein Hundert"):

• Eine Gruppe von hundert (a group of one hundred)

Antonyms (in terms of magnitude):

• Null (zero)
• Eins (one), Zehn (ten) (smaller numbers)
• Tausend (thousand), Million (million) (larger numbers)

Related terms that could be misleading:

• Hunderstel (das): Means 1/100 (one hundredth). Example: "Ein Hunderstel ist nicht viel." (One hundredth isn't much.)
• Jahrhundert (das): A period of 100 years (a century).

😂 A Little Number Joke

Auf Deutsch:

Was sagt die Zahl 0 zur Zahl 8?
"Schicker Gürtel!"
Was sagt die Zahl 100 zur Zahl 10?
"Du bist ja nur ein Zehntel von mir wert!"

English Translation:

What does the number 0 say to the number 8?
"Nice belt!"
What does the number 100 say to the number 10?
"You're only worth a tenth of me!"

📜 Hundert in Verse

Auf Deutsch:

Eins, zwei Nullen, elegant,
die Hundert steht im Zahlenland.
Mal "die", wenn's eine Gruppe meint,
mal "das", als Wert, der klar erscheint.
Prozente rechnet man mit ihr,
auf Scheinen glänzt sie stolz allhier.

English Translation:

One, two zeros, elegant and grand,
the Hundert stands in number land.
Sometimes "die", when it means a crew,
sometimes "das", as value true.
Percentages are reckoned with its might,
on banknotes, it shines ever so bright.

❓ Number Riddle

Auf Deutsch:

Ich bin eine Zahl, rund und glatt,
nach neunundneunzig komm ich satt.
Zehn mal zehn, das ist mein Wert,
oft in Prozenten sehr begehrt.
Manchmal bin ich "die", manchmal "das" genannt,
welche Zahl ist hier bekannt?

Lösung: Die Hundert / Hundert

English Translation:

I am a number, round and neat,
after ninety-nine, I'm complete.
Ten times ten, that is my worth,
in percentages, I prove my berth.
Sometimes called "die", sometimes "das" by name,
which number is known in this game?

Solution: (Die) Hundert / One Hundred

🌐 Trivia About Hundert / One Hundred

Word Origin (Wortherkunft): The German word "Hundert" comes from Old High German "huntarit". "Hunt" originally meant "hundred" (cognate with English "hundred") and "-arit" (related to "raten" - to calculate, and "Rechnung" - calculation) denoted a count or number. So, it's a very old term for this fundamental number.

Cultural Significance (Kulturelle Bedeutung):

• Das Jahrhundert (century) is a fundamental unit of time.
• In many currencies, the 100-unit banknote is common.
• "Hundert Prozent" (one hundred percent) often signifies completeness or absolute agreement.
• The Roman numeral for one hundred is C (from Latin "centum"). This connection is also seen in English words like "century" or "percent" (per centum).

Abbreviations (Abkürzungen):

• h (rarely, more commonly for hour - Stunde)
• In finance or for quantities, sometimes C (for Centum)