Time in German

time vocabulary in german

• Tagesablauf Daily routine
• Zeitplan Schedule
• Armbanduhr Wristwatch
• Wecker Alarm clock
• Stunde Hour
• Minute Minute
• Sekunde Second
• Viertelstunde Quarter of an hour
• Halbe Stunde Half an hour
• Dreiviertelstunde Three-quarters of an hour
• Morgengrauen Dawn
• Sonnenaufgang Sunrise
• Sonnenuntergang Sunset
• Dämmerung Twilight
• Jahreszeit Season
• Zeiger Hand (of a clock)
• Stundenzahl Number of hours
• Zeitrahmen Time frame
• Zeitsprung Time jump
• Zeitspanne Time span
• Zeitraum Period of time
• Zeitpunkt Point in time
• Zeitzone Time zone
• Zeitunterschied Time difference
• Zeitrechnung Chronology
• Ewigkeit Eternity
• Jahrgang Year (vintage)
• Dekade Decade
• Jahrhundertwende Turn of the century
• Millisekunde Millisecond
• Mikrosekunde Microsecond
• Nanosekunde Nanosecond
• Zeitalter Age/Era
• Jahrhundert Century
• Jahrtausend Millennium
• Fortlaufend Continuous
• Zeitlos Timeless
• Vergänglich Transitory
• Zeitweise Temporarily
• Von Zeit zu Zeit From time to time
• Zeitgleich Simultaneous
• Zeitarbeiter Temporary worker
• Zeitarbeit Temporary work
• Zeitvertrag Fixed-term contract
• Zeitmanagement Time management
• Zeitzähler Timer
• Zeiterfassung Time tracking
• Überstunden Overtime
• Feierabend End of the workday
• Freizeit Free time
• Frist Deadline
• Zeitdruck Time pressure
• Zeitverlust Time loss
• Zeitgenosse Contemporary
• Zeitmesser Timekeeper
• Zeitraffer Time-lapse
• Zeitsperre Time lock
• Zeitreise Time travel
• Zeitkapsel Time capsule
• Zeitungsartikel Newspaper article
• Zeitmaschine Time machine
• Zeitzeugenbericht Eyewitness account
• Vergangene Zeiten Past times
• Zukünftige Zeiten Future times
• Gegenwart Present (time)
• Uhr O'clock
• Stunde Hour
• Minute Minute
• Sekunde Second
• um At (time)
• vor Before
• nach After
• viertel Quarter
• halb Half
• morgens In the morning
• mittags At noon
• nachmittags In the afternoon
• abends In the evening
• nachts At night
• jetzt Now
• früher Earlier
• später Later
• heute Today
• gestern Yesterday
• morgen Tomorrow
• übermorgen The day after tomorrow
• vorgestern The day before yesterday
• immer Always
• manchmal Sometimes
• selten Rarely
• nie Never
• sofort Immediately
• gleich Soon
• bald Soon
• früh Early
• spät Late
• Mitternacht Midnight
• Mittag Noon
• Wochenende Weekend
• Woche Week
• Monat Month
• Jahr Year
• Jahrzehnt Decade
• Jahrhundert Century
• Jahrtausend Millennium

Understanding German Punctuality and Telling Time

The Importance of Punctuality in German Culture

In German culture, punctuality is highly valued. Arriving on time for a meeting typically means arriving ten minutes early to ensure you are prepared. Being late is often seen as disrespectful to others' time. For anyone learning German, understanding this aspect of the culture is crucial to avoid any misunderstandings.

Asking for the Time in German

Knowing how to ask for the time in German is essential for navigating daily life. Here are some key phrases:

English	German
What time is it?	Wie spät ist es?
Can you tell me the time?	Können Sie mir die Zeit sagen?

Telling Time in German

To effectively tell the time in German, you need to understand a few basic principles:

1. Hours and Minutes:

• The hour is followed by the minutes.
• Example: 3:45 is "drei Uhr fünfundvierzig."

1. Quarter and Half Hours:

• "Viertel" (quarter) and "halb" (half) are used to describe these times.
• Example: 3:15 is "Viertel nach drei" (a quarter past three).
• Example: 3:30 is "halb vier" (half past three).

English	German
3:00	drei Uhr
3:15	Viertel nach drei
3:30	halb vier
3:45	Viertel vor vier
3:50	zehn vor vier

Basic Vocabulary for Telling Time in German

Learn German Numbers from 1 to 59

When learning to tell time in German, it's crucial to memorize the numbers from one to 59. These numbers are all you'll need for accurately stating the time. Here are some recommended strategies for mastering these numbers, including useful resources and memory tricks.

• eins one
• zwei two
• drei three
• vier four
• fünf five
• sechs six
• sieben seven
• acht eight
• neun nine
• zehn ten
• elf eleven
• zwölf twelve
• dreizehn thirteen
• vierzehn fourteen
• fünfzehn fifteen
• sechzehn sixteen
• siebzehn seventeen
• achtzehn eighteen
• neunzehn nineteen
• zwanzig twenty
• einundzwanzig twenty-one
• zweiundzwanzig twenty-two
• dreiundzwanzig twenty-three
• vierundzwanzig twenty-four
• fünfundzwanzig twenty-five
• sechsundzwanzig twenty-six
• siebenundzwanzig twenty-seven
• achtundzwanzig twenty-eight
• neunundzwanzig twenty-nine
• dreißig thirty
• einunddreißig thirty-one
• zweiunddreißig thirty-two
• dreiunddreißig thirty-three
• vierunddreißig thirty-four
• fünfunddreißig thirty-five
• sechsunddreißig thirty-six
• siebenunddreißig thirty-seven
• achtunddreißig thirty-eight
• neununddreißig thirty-nine
• vierzig forty
• einundvierzig forty-one
• zweiundvierzig forty-two
• dreiundvierzig forty-three
• vierundvierzig forty-four
• fünfundvierzig forty-five
• sechsundvierzig forty-six
• siebenundvierzig forty-seven
• achtundvierzig forty-eight
• neunundvierzig forty-nine
• fünfzig fifty
• einundfünfzig fifty-one
• zweiundfünfzig fifty-two
• dreiundfünfzig fifty-three
• vierundfünfzig fifty-four
• fünfundfünfzig fifty-five
• sechsundfünfzig fifty-six
• siebenundfünfzig fifty-seven
• achtundfünfzig fifty-eight
• neunundfünfzig fifty-nine

Common German Time Vocabulary

Germans use a variety of phrases to tell and read the time. Here are some of the most important words and phrases:

German	English
Uhr	O'clock (for full hours)
um	At (e.g., "Let's meet at four o'clock")
vor	Before
nach	After
viertel	Quarter (e.g., "quarter past" or "quarter to")
halb	Half
morgens	In the morning
mittags	At noon
nachmittags	In the afternoon
abends	In the evening
nachts	At night

These terms will help you navigate time-related conversations in German.

Examples of Telling Time in German

Full Hours:

• 3:00 — drei Uhr (three o'clock)

Quarter Past and Quarter To:

• 3:15 — viertel nach drei (quarter past three)
• 3:45 — viertel vor vier (quarter to four)

Half Hours:

• 3:30 — halb vier (half past three)

Morning, Noon, Afternoon, Evening, and Night:

• 7:00 morgens — sieben Uhr morgens (seven o'clock in the morning)
• 12:00 mittags — zwölf Uhr mittags (twelve o'clock at noon)
• 2:00 nachmittags — zwei Uhr nachmittags (two o'clock in the afternoon)
• 6:00 abends — sechs Uhr abends (six o'clock in the evening)
• 11:00 nachts — elf Uhr nachts (eleven o'clock at night)

Why Learn How to Tell the Time in German?

Start Conversations Easily

Knowing how to tell the time in German is a great conversation starter. When you're in a German-speaking environment, you can use your time-telling skills to engage with others. Simply ask, “Entschuldigung, wie spät ist es?” (Excuse me, what time is it?), and you'll have a natural way to initiate a conversation, even with strangers.

Time is Integral to the Language

Understanding how to tell the time in German helps you grasp various expressions and idioms. For instance, “kurz vor zwölf” means "just before 12 o'clock," indicating it’s high time to act. Even non-time-related expressions can involve time in German. Instead of saying “Oh dear,” Germans might say “Ach du liebe Zeit,” which translates to "Oh, you dear time!"

Time is Unavoidable

Time is a constant part of life, and knowing how to tell the time in German is essential for daily activities. Whether you're scheduling a meeting with a colleague, planning lunch with friends, or checking store hours, understanding time in German is crucial. Mastering this skill will help you navigate various situations more effectively in a German-speaking environment.

Key Phrases for Telling Time in German

Here are some essential phrases and their meanings to help you get started:

German	English
Entschuldigung, wie spät ist es?	Excuse me, what time is it?
Es ist ... Uhr.	It is ... o'clock.
Um wie viel Uhr?	At what time?
kurz vor zwölf	Just before 12 o'clock
Ach du liebe Zeit	Oh, you dear time