Learn about telling time in German

Telling time in German

After knowing the numbers from 1 to 12 , you can now begin asking and Telling time in German . Asking for the time is accomplished by the sentence : [responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]Wie spät ist es? [/responsivevoice] (“How late is it?”) . The answer places the hour in the line Es ist ____ Uhr (“It is __ o’clock”) , substituting the correct cardinal value (except ein is used instead of eins) . One could also ask : Wieviel Uhr ist es? (not used very often anymore) or respond Es ist eins or Es ist drei , etc .—which may be imprecise , unless the time is close to the hour . The following sentences also relate to telling time :

[responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]Er fragt nach der Uhrzeit. [/responsivevoice] He asks the time.
[responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]Sie begegnen sich eines Nachmittags. [/responsivevoice] They meet each other one afternoon.
[responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]Es ist halb vier. [/responsivevoice] It is half past three (3:30).
[responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]Es ist Viertel nach zwölf. [/responsivevoice] It is a quarter after twelve (12:15).
[responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]Es ist Viertel vor elf. [/responsivevoice] It is a quarter to eleven (10:45).
[responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]Es ist drei Viertel elf. [/responsivevoice] It is a quarter to eleven (10:45).
[responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]Es ist fünf vor neun. [/responsivevoice] It is five minutes to (until) nine (08:55).
[responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]Es ist fünf Minuten vor neun. [/responsivevoice] It is five minutes to (until) nine (08:55).
[responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]Es ist zehn nach elf. [/responsivevoice] It is ten minutes after eleven (11:10).
[responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]Es ist zehn Minuten nach elf. [/responsivevoice] It is ten minutes after eleven (11:10).
[responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]Es ist acht nach. [/responsivevoice] It is eight minutes after the last full hour (??:08).
[responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]Es ist zehn vor. [/responsivevoice] It is ten minutes to (until) the next full hour (??:50).
[responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]Es ist drei durch. [/responsivevoice] It is between three and four (03:??).
[responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]Es ist elf Uhr drei [/responsivevoice] It is three minutes after eleven (11:03).
[responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]Es ist elf Uhr und drei minuten [/responsivevoice] It is three minutes after eleven (11:03).

Knowing how to express the quarter , half , and three quarter hours will allow you to give the time more precisely . We will , of course , revisit this subject . Once you know how to count beyond twelve , the hour’s division into 60 minutes can be expressed . Also , Germans (like most Europeans) utilize what is known in America as “military time” or a 24-hour clock .

Conversation 

Look at this conversation about telling time in German .

Two boys , Heinrich and Karl , are friends . They meet one afternoon .

  • Heinrich: Karl. Wie geht’s?
  • Karl: Hallo!
  • Heinrich: Willst du spielen? Ich habe einen Ball.
  • Karl: Wie spät ist es?
  • Heinrich: Es ist ein Uhr.
  • Karl: Dann kann ich bis zwei Uhr spielen.
  • Heinrich: Das ist gut. Wir spielen eine Stunde lang!

Vocabulary about telling time in German

Also included in the vocabulary about telling time in German for this lesson are :

afternoon [responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]der Nachmittag [/responsivevoice]
hour [responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]die Stunde [/responsivevoice]
watch (timepiece); also “o’clock” [responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]die Uhr [/responsivevoice]
clock tower [responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]der Uhrturm [/responsivevoice]
time, time of day [responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]die Uhrzeit [/responsivevoice]
quarter [responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]das Viertel [/responsivevoice]
until two o’clock [responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]bis zwei Uhr [/responsivevoice]
half, halfway to [responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]halb [/responsivevoice]
late [responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]spät [/responsivevoice]
before, until [responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]vor [/responsivevoice]
to [responsivevoice voice=”Deutsch Female” rate=”0.8″ buttontext=”Listen”]zu [/responsivevoice]
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