Learning a new language can be an exciting and rewarding experience, and German is no exception. One of the fundamental aspects of mastering any language is understanding how to express time. In German, as in English, time expressions are critical for everyday communication, whether you’re arranging a meeting, discussing your daily routine, or planning a trip. This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide to German phrases for expressing time, making it easier for English speakers to grasp these essential concepts.
Basic Time Expressions
Let’s start with the basics. In German, the 24-hour clock is commonly used, especially in formal contexts such as timetables and official schedules. However, the 12-hour clock is also used in everyday conversation.
**Hours and Minutes:**
– **Wie spät ist es?** – What time is it?
– **Es ist ein Uhr.** – It is one o’clock.
– **Es ist Viertel nach zwei.** – It is a quarter past two.
– **Es ist halb drei.** – It is half past two (Note: In German, “halb” means “half before,” so “halb drei” is 2:30, not 3:30).
– **Es ist Viertel vor vier.** – It is a quarter to four.
**Days of the Week:**
– **Montag** – Monday
– **Dienstag** – Tuesday
– **Mittwoch** – Wednesday
– **Donnerstag** – Thursday
– **Freitag** – Friday
– **Samstag** – Saturday
– **Sonntag** – Sunday
**Today, Tomorrow, and Yesterday:**
– **heute** – today
– **morgen** – tomorrow
– **gestern** – yesterday
Expressing Specific Times
When you want to specify a particular time, you can use the following phrases:
– **um drei Uhr** – at three o’clock
– **um halb acht** – at half past seven
– **um Viertel nach neun** – at a quarter past nine
– **um Viertel vor elf** – at a quarter to eleven
For more precise times, you can add the minutes:
– **um fünf nach sechs** – at five past six
– **um zwanzig vor acht** – at twenty to eight
– **um zehn nach vier** – at ten past four
Morning, Afternoon, Evening, and Night
To indicate different parts of the day, you can use the following expressions:
– **am Morgen** – in the morning
– **am Vormittag** – in the forenoon (late morning)
– **am Nachmittag** – in the afternoon
– **am Abend** – in the evening
– **in der Nacht** – at night
For example:
– **Ich gehe am Morgen joggen.** – I go jogging in the morning.
– **Wir treffen uns am Nachmittag.** – We are meeting in the afternoon.
Days, Weeks, Months, and Years
Understanding how to talk about days, weeks, months, and years is crucial for making plans and discussing schedules.
**Days:**
– **heute** – today
– **morgen** – tomorrow
– **übermorgen** – the day after tomorrow
– **gestern** – yesterday
– **vorgestern** – the day before yesterday
**Weeks:**
– **diese Woche** – this week
– **nächste Woche** – next week
– **letzte Woche** – last week
– **jede Woche** – every week
**Months:**
– **diesen Monat** – this month
– **nächsten Monat** – next month
– **letzten Monat** – last month
– **jeden Monat** – every month
**Years:**
– **dieses Jahr** – this year
– **nächstes Jahr** – next year
– **letztes Jahr** – last year
– **jedes Jahr** – every year
Specific Dates
When specifying dates, Germans typically use the day-month-year format. Here are some examples:
– **am ersten Januar** – on the first of January
– **am fünfundzwanzigsten Dezember** – on the twenty-fifth of December
– **am dritten Oktober** – on the third of October
To ask about specific dates, you can use:
– **Welches Datum ist heute?** – What is the date today?
– **Welches Datum haben wir morgen?** – What date is it tomorrow?
Frequency and Duration
Talking about how often something happens or the duration of an event is another essential aspect of time expressions.
**Frequency:**
– **täglich** – daily
– **wöchentlich** – weekly
– **monatlich** – monthly
– **jährlich** – yearly
– **immer** – always
– **oft** – often
– **manchmal** – sometimes
– **selten** – rarely
– **nie** – never
For example:
– **Ich gehe täglich spazieren.** – I go for a walk daily.
– **Wir treffen uns wöchentlich.** – We meet weekly.
**Duration:**
– **eine Stunde** – one hour
– **zwei Stunden** – two hours
– **eine Minute** – one minute
– **zwei Minuten** – two minutes
– **einen Tag** – one day
– **zwei Tage** – two days
– **eine Woche** – one week
– **zwei Wochen** – two weeks
– **ein Monat** – one month
– **zwei Monate** – two months
– **ein Jahr** – one year
– **zwei Jahre** – two years
For example:
– **Ich warte seit einer Stunde.** – I have been waiting for one hour.
– **Wir bleiben eine Woche.** – We are staying for one week.
Talking About the Future
Discussing future plans and events is an essential part of any conversation. Here are some useful phrases:
– **Ich werde morgen gehen.** – I will go tomorrow.
– **Wir werden nächste Woche reisen.** – We will travel next week.
– **Ich habe vor, im nächsten Monat umzuziehen.** – I plan to move next month.
To ask about future plans:
– **Was machst du morgen?** – What are you doing tomorrow?
– **Hast du Pläne für nächste Woche?** – Do you have plans for next week?
Talking About the Past
When discussing past events, the following expressions can be helpful:
– **Ich war gestern dort.** – I was there yesterday.
– **Wir haben letzte Woche gefeiert.** – We celebrated last week.
– **Ich bin vor einem Monat umgezogen.** – I moved a month ago.
To ask about past events:
– **Was hast du gestern gemacht?** – What did you do yesterday?
– **Wo warst du letzte Woche?** – Where were you last week?
Idiomatic Expressions Involving Time
German, like any language, has its own set of idiomatic expressions involving time. Here are a few:
– **Zeit ist Geld.** – Time is money.
– **Die Zeit heilt alle Wunden.** – Time heals all wounds.
– **Es ist höchste Zeit.** – It is high time.
– **Zeit verschwenden** – to waste time
– **Zeit sparen** – to save time
– **Zeit verbringen** – to spend time
For example:
– **Wir dürfen keine Zeit verschwenden.** – We must not waste time.
– **Es ist höchste Zeit, dass wir gehen.** – It is high time that we go.
Practicing Time Expressions
Now that you’ve learned various phrases and expressions for talking about time in German, the next step is to practice. Here are some tips for incorporating these expressions into your daily routine:
1. **Use a German Calendar:** Start using a German calendar to familiarize yourself with the days, months, and date formats.
2. **Set Your Clock in German:** Change the language setting on your devices to German, especially the clock and calendar apps.
3. **Daily Practice:** Try to express your daily schedule in German. For example, write down what you plan to do at different times throughout the day.
4. **Watch German Media:** Watch German TV shows, movies, or listen to German podcasts to hear how native speakers talk about time.
5. **Language Exchange:** Find a language exchange partner to practice discussing your schedules, plans, and past events in German.
Learning how to express time in German is a vital step in achieving fluency. By mastering these phrases and practicing regularly, you’ll be well on your way to becoming more comfortable and confident in your German language skills. Remember, consistency is key, and the more you use these expressions, the more natural they will become. Viel Erfolg! (Good luck!)
