8.16 Telephone boxes and telephone numbers-2

Directory enquiries

When the Deutsche Bundespost had a monopoly on phone services, you used to ring 118 to find out a German phone number. Since decentralisation however, directory enquiries are provided by a wide range of companies, who charge very different prices for their services. Modern directory enquiries can supply you with more information than just a landline number. Depending on which provider you contact, you can also find out mobile phone numbers, fax numbers, postcodes and even names and addresses of anyone who has placed their details in the telephone directory. All of these companies have telephone numbers that start with 118, and you can find out more about their different services and tariffs by clicking here.

 

It's cheaper therefore to look up German phone numbers online, and you can do so using the links below:

 

Germany:

Das Telefonbuch (the online version of the German telephone directory);

Teleauskunft (a database wher you can look up German telephone numbers for companies and private individuals);

Gelbe Seiten (the German equivalent of the Yellow Pages)

Austria:

Herold (the Austrian telephone directory and Yellow Pages)

Switzerland and Liechtenstein:

The White Pages (the online version of the Swiss telephone directory);

The Yellow Pages (the Swiss equivalent of the Yellow Pages);

tel.search.ch (a free electronic phone book)

How to give and receive telephone numbers

German telephone numbers are usually said in pairs. This is not true however for the dialling code, so (0475) 24 88 79 would be given as null vier sieben fünf - vierundzwanzig achtundachtzig neunundsiebzig.

 

If there is an odd number of digits in a German phone number, the first digit is usually isolated and the followed digits are then spoken in pairs, for example 2 34 47 95.

 

When numbers are said over the telephone or as part of a public announcement, you will also often hear "zwo" instead of "zwei". This is to avoid any confusion as "zwei" could be confused with "drei" if the line is bad. This also applies to compound numbers such as 82 which might be said as "zwoundachtzig" over the phone.