Asking the Time
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Wie viel Uhr ist es? | What time is it? |
| Wie spät ist es? | What time is it? (lit. how late?) |
| Um wie viel Uhr …? | At what time …? |
Answer with: Es ist …
Official / Digital Time (24-hour)
State the hour first, then the minutes:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Es ist neun Uhr. | It is 9:00. |
| Es ist neun Uhr fünfzehn. | It is 9:15. |
| Es ist dreizehn Uhr dreißig. | It is 13:30. |
| Es ist achtzehn Uhr fünfundvierzig. | It is 18:45. |
Add Uhr after the hour number when no minutes follow, or between hours and minutes.
Everyday Conversational Time
Germans use a clock-face system for casual speech:
| Time | German phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 | neun Uhr | nine o'clock |
| 9:15 | Viertel nach neun | quarter past nine |
| 9:30 | halb zehn | half ten (= half to ten!) |
| 9:45 | Viertel vor zehn | quarter to ten |
| 10:00 | zehn Uhr | ten o'clock |
Halb zehn = 9:30, not 10:30! German "halb" means "half to the next hour". Think of it as "halfway to ten".
Other Minute Expressions
| Time | German |
|---|---|
| 9:10 | zehn nach neun |
| 9:20 | zwanzig nach neun |
| 9:35 | fünfundzwanzig vor zehn |
| 9:50 | zehn vor zehn |
Common Time Phrases
| German | English |
|---|---|
| um acht Uhr | at eight o'clock |
| gegen Mittag | around midday |
| Mitternacht | midnight |
| morgens | in the morning |
| nachmittags | in the afternoon |
| abends | in the evening |
| pünktlich | on time |
| zu spät | late |
School timetable conversation
– Wann beginnt die Schule? (When does school start?) – Um Viertel vor acht. (At quarter to eight = 7:45.) – Wann ist Pause? (When is break?) – Um halb elf. (At half ten = 10:30.)
School timetable conversation
– Wann beginnt die Schule? (When does school start?) – Um Viertel vor acht. (At quarter to eight = 7:45.) – Wann ist Pause? (When is break?) – Um halb elf. (At half ten = 10:30.)
Real world: train and bus announcements
German public transport uses exact times: „Der Zug nach München fährt um dreizehn Uhr zwölf ab." „Nächster Halt: Hauptbahnhof, in fünf Minuten." „Der Bus hat zehn Minuten Verspätung." — the 24-hour official format is used in all schedules; learners need both the digital and conversational styles.
Real world: making and confirming appointments
Arranging appointments in German requires time phrases: „Ich hätte gerne einen Termin um neun Uhr." „Können Sie um halb zwei kommen?" „Das Konzert beginnt um zwanzig Uhr." — German offices, doctors, and restaurants all use um + time to confirm when something happens.
Halb + next hour = 30 minutes before that hour. So halb zehn = 9:30 (30 minutes before 10). This is the single most confusing part of German time for English speakers. Trick: always picture a clock face and ask yourself "what hour am I halfway to?"
Practice Problems
How do you say 3:30 in German conversational style?
Show answer
What does 'Viertel vor fünf' mean?
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Write 14:15 in German official (digital) style and conversational style.