German word

Ziffer

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈtsɪfɐ/

Meaning

  • feminine noundigit

Example

Ich schreibe jede Ziffer klar und deutlich.

I write every digit clearly and legibly.

Illustration for Ziffer (digit)

More examples

Bei langen Codes merkt man sich oft nur die letzte Ziffer.

For long codes, people often remember only the last digit.

Core concept

One visible position in a string of written numerals, where each symbol contributes to the whole number.

Common phrases

  • die erste Ziffer

    the first digit

  • Ziffer eingeben

    enter a digit

Similar words

Zahl: A number or numerical value expressed as a whole.
Stelle: The position occupied by one digit within a number.
Nummer: A label used to identify or order a person, item, or record.

Definition in German

Ein einzelnes Zahlzeichen, das eine Stelle innerhalb einer mehrstelligen Zahl angibt.

Word origin

Ziffer entered German as Middle High German zifer through Romance forms related to Italian cifra, which came from Arabic sifr, originally meaning zero.

Usage tips

  • German uses Zahl for a number or numerical value but Ziffer for one written symbol; 47 is a Zahl made up of two Ziffern.

Opposites

Related words

  • Ziffernfolgedigit sequencenoun
  • Ziffernwertdigit valuenoun

Word lists with this word