German word

drei

Pronunciation

IPA/dʁaɪ̯/

Meaning

  • numberthree

Example

Er hat drei Kinder.

He has three children.

Illustration for drei (three)

More examples

Wir treffen uns in drei Tagen.

We'll meet in three days.

Core concept

A trio stands together, with each member distinct but belonging to the same small set.

Common phrases

  • drei Tage

    three days

  • drei Stunden

    three hours

  • drei Mal

    three times

Similar words

eins: Indicates a quantity of one person or thing.
zwei: Indicates a quantity of two people or things.
vier: Indicates a quantity of four people or things.
fünf: Indicates a quantity of five people or things.

Definition in German

Kardinalzahl, die ausdrückt, dass drei einzelne Einheiten gemeint sind.

Word origin

The numeral drei is an inherited Germanic word from Proto-Germanic *þrīz or *þrī and shares its Indo-European root with English three.

Usage tips

  • German uses zu dritt for being or doing something as a group of three, not the ordinal meaning expressed by dritte.

Related words

  • Dreiergroup of threenoun
  • dreifachthreefoldadjective

Word lists with this word