drei

See also: Drei and Dréi

Central Franconian

Etymology

From Old High German drī.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /dʀei̯/

Numeral

drei

  1. (most dialects) three

German

German cardinal numbers
 <  2 3 4  > 
    Cardinal : drei
    Ordinal : dritte

Alternative forms

  • drey (obsolete)
  • Drei (when used substantively)

Etymology

From Old High German drī, from Proto-Germanic *þrīz, from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes. Compare Dutch drie, English three, Danish tre.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /dʁaɪ̯/, [dʁaɪ̯]
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -aɪ̯

Numeral

drei

  1. three (numerical value represented by the Arabic numeral 3; or describing a set with three elements)
    • 1845, Carl von Holtei, Theater. In einem Bande, Breslau, page 370:
      Wenn also diese Küsse zu dem letzten
      Gerechnet werden, ist die Summe drei,
      Wie aller guten Dinge dreie sind.

Declension

  • Nominative and accusative are nowadays always uninflected. The substantival form dreie is nowadays dialectal.
  • The genitive case takes the form dreier if no article or pronoun is preceding: Vater dreier Kinder – “a father of three children”. But: der Vater der drei Kinder – “the father of the three children”. The form dreier is somewhat elevated; even in formal writing it is sometimes more natural to avoid it (Vater von drei Kindern).
  • The dative case is often uninflected in adjectival use: Ich sprach mit drei Zeugen. – “I spoke with three witnesses.” When used as a noun, it may take the form dreien: Ich sprach mit dreien.literally, “I spoke with three.” This rule is usually observed in formal standard German; but when a specification in the genitive case (or with von) is following, the bare form is common: Ich sprach mit drei der Zeugen. – “I spoke with three of the witnesses.” In colloquial German, dreien is never obligatory.

Coordinate terms

Derived terms

Further reading

  • drei in Duden online

German Low German

Alternative forms

  • dree (some dialects)

Etymology

Compare Old Saxon thrīe, from Proto-Germanic *þrīz, from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes. Ultimately cognate to German drei, Dutch drie, English three, Plautdietsch dree.

Numeral

drei

  1. (Low Prussian, Münsterländisch) three (3)

See also


Hunsrik

Hunsrik cardinal numbers
 <  2 3 4  > 
    Cardinal : drei
    Ordinal : dritt

Etymology

From Old High German drī, from Proto-Germanic *þrīz, from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /traɪ̯/

Numeral

drei

  1. three
    Meer hon drei Kinner.
    We have three children.

Further reading


Middle English

Adjective

drei

  1. Alternative form of drye

Norwegian Bokmål

Verb

drei

  1. imperative of dreie

Pennsylvania German

Etymology

From Old High German drī, from Proto-Germanic *þrīz, from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes. Compare German drei, Dutch drie, English three.

Numeral

drei

  1. three

Sranan Tongo

Etymology

From English dry.

Adjective

drei

  1. dry
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