Days of the week (Wochentage)
| German | English | Short |
|---|---|---|
| Montag | Monday | Mo |
| Dienstag | Tuesday | Di |
| Mittwoch | Wednesday | Mi |
| Donnerstag | Thursday | Do |
| Freitag | Friday | Fr |
| Samstag (or Sonnabend) | Saturday | Sa |
| Sonntag | Sunday | So |
Months of the year (Monate)
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Januar | January |
| Februar | February |
| März | March |
| April | April |
| Mai | May |
| Juni | June |
| Juli | July |
| August | August |
| September | September |
| Oktober | October |
| November | November |
| Dezember | December |
Seasons (Jahreszeiten)
| German | English |
|---|---|
| der Frühling | spring |
| der Sommer | summer |
| der Herbst | autumn / fall |
| der Winter | winter |
Telling the time (Uhrzeit)
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Wie viel Uhr ist es? | What time is it? |
| Wie spät ist es? | What time is it? |
| Es ist zwei Uhr. | It is two o'clock. |
| Es ist halb drei. | It is half past two. (2:30 — "half [to] three") |
| Es ist Viertel nach zwei. | It is quarter past two. (2:15) |
| Es ist Viertel vor drei. | It is quarter to three. (2:45) |
| Es ist zehn nach drei. | It is ten past three. (3:10) |
| Es ist fünf vor vier. | It is five to four. (3:55) |
Time prepositions
| Preposition | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| um | exact time | um drei Uhr (at three o'clock) |
| am | day | am Montag (on Monday), am Wochenende (at the weekend) |
| im | month or season | im Juli (in July), im Winter (in winter) |
| in | duration | in zwei Stunden (in two hours) |
Date expressions (Datum)
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Welches Datum haben wir heute? | What is today's date? |
| Es ist der dritte Oktober. | It is the third of October. |
| Ich bin am fünften März geboren. | I was born on the fifth of March. |
Other useful time words
| German | English |
|---|---|
| heute | today |
| gestern | yesterday |
| morgen | tomorrow |
| jetzt | now |
| früh / morgens | in the morning |
| mittags | at midday |
| abends | in the evening |
| nachts | at night |
| nächste Woche | next week |
| letzte Woche | last week |
Real world: timetables and schedules
German school timetables, train schedules, and appointment cards use days and times: „Der Zug fährt um 8:15 Uhr ab." „Die Sprechstunde ist am Dienstag und Donnerstag." „Der Unterricht beginnt um halb acht." — reading a German schedule is a daily necessity in German-speaking countries.
Real world: making plans with friends
Arranging plans requires days and times: „Wann treffen wir uns?" „Am Samstag um drei Uhr." „Kannst du morgen Abend?" „Bis bald!" — these short exchanges happen in every German WhatsApp chat and are among the most useful phrases a learner needs first.
Real world: dates and birthdays
Dates come up constantly in forms, invitations, and birthday talk: „Wann hast du Geburtstag?" — „Am zwanzigsten März." „Das Konzert ist am dritten Oktober." „Wir haben heute den fünfzehnten April." — German dates use ordinal numbers with dative endings after am.
halb in German time means "half ON THE WAY TO" the next hour, not "half past" the current one. So halb drei = 2:30 (halfway to 3), NOT 3:30. This trips up almost every English speaker — always think of the next hour when you hear halb.
Practice Problems
What does 'halb vier' mean in German?
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Translate: on Monday
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Translate: in summer
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Translate: What time is it?
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Translate: It is quarter to five.