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Zeitangaben
Time expressions are essential for daily conversations! You need them to talk about when things happen (today, tomorrow, yesterday), how often (always, sometimes, never), and what time (at 8 o'clock). German uses specific prepositions: 'um' for clock time, 'am' for days, and 'im' for months/seasons. Master these and you can schedule anything!
KEY TIME PREPOSITIONS: - um + clock time: um 8 Uhr (at 8 o'clock) - am + day: am Montag (on Monday) - im + month/season: im Januar (in January), im Sommer (in summer)
TELLING TIME: - Wie viel Uhr ist es? / Wie spät ist es? (What time is it?) - Es ist 8 Uhr. (It's 8 o'clock.) - Es ist halb 9. (It's 8:30 - literally 'half to 9'!) - Es ist Viertel nach 8. (It's 8:15 - quarter past 8) - Es ist Viertel vor 9. (It's 8:45 - quarter to 9)
COMMON TIME WORDS: - heute (today), gestern (yesterday), morgen (tomorrow) - jetzt (now), später (later), bald (soon) - immer (always), oft (often), manchmal (sometimes), nie (never)
Use 'um' + time to say WHEN something happens (at what time).
Examples:
German 'halb' (half) means 'half TO the next hour', not 'half past'!
Examples:
Use 'am' + day to say ON which day something happens. Days are masculine in German!
Examples:
Use 'im' + month/season for IN which month or season.
Examples:
Essential words for talking about when things happen (no preposition needed!).
Examples:
How often something happens - these usually come AFTER the verb.
Examples:
Use 'vor' + time period to say something happened AGO (completed action in the past). The action is finished!
Examples:
Use 'seit' + time period to say something has been happening FOR a duration (still ongoing NOW!). The action continues!
Examples:
vor = completed action in the past (AGO). seit = action still continuing now (FOR/SINCE). This distinction is CRUCIAL!
Examples:
Use 'von...bis' to express a time range from one point to another.
Examples:
🇩🇪 Wie viel Uhr ist es?
🇬🇧 What time is it?
💡 Standard question for asking the time
Context: Most common way to ask for time
🇩🇪 Es ist halb 9.
🇬🇧 It's 8:30. (Literally: It's half to 9.)
💡 Remember: halb 9 = 8:30, NOT 9:30!
Context: Critical German time expression!
🇩🇪 Der Unterricht beginnt um 9 Uhr.
🇬🇧 The class starts at 9 o'clock.
💡 um + clock time for WHEN
Context: School/class schedule
🇩🇪 Wir treffen uns am Samstag.
🇬🇧 We're meeting on Saturday.
💡 am + day of week
Context: Making plans for specific day
🇩🇪 Ich habe im Juli Geburtstag.
🇬🇧 My birthday is in July.
💡 im + month
Context: Talking about birthdays/events
🇩🇪 Ich gehe heute ins Kino.
🇬🇧 I'm going to the cinema today.
💡 'heute' needs no preposition
Context: Stating plans for today
🇩🇪 Wir fahren morgen nach Berlin.
🇬🇧 We're traveling to Berlin tomorrow.
💡 'morgen' needs no preposition
Context: Future travel plans
🇩🇪 Er trinkt immer Kaffee am Morgen.
🇬🇧 He always drinks coffee in the morning.
💡 'immer' (frequency) + 'am Morgen' (time of day)
Context: Describing daily habits
🇩🇪 Ich stehe nie spät auf.
🇬🇧 I never get up late.
💡 'nie' (never) for frequency
Context: Talking about routines
UM the clock (um 8 Uhr), AM the day (am Montag), IM the month/season (im Januar). Three little words for all time!
'Halb 9' = 8:30 (half way TO 9 o'clock). Think: Germans are already looking ahead to the next hour! Very different from English 'half past'.
These three common time words (today, yesterday, tomorrow) stand ALONE. No 'am' or 'im' needed! Just: 'Ich gehe heute.'
Germans often use 24-hour time: 20 Uhr = 8 PM, 15 Uhr = 3 PM. Official schedules (trains, TV, events) always use 24-hour!
Immer, oft, manchmal, nie usually come AFTER the conjugated verb: 'Ich gehe oft ins Kino' (I often go to the cinema).
Confusing 'halb 9' with 9:30
'Halb 9' is NOT 9:30! It's 8:30 (half TO 9). This is the #1 time mistake! Remember: halb = halfway to the NEXT hour.
Using wrong prepositions with time
'In Montag' or 'auf 8 Uhr' are wrong. Correct: 'am Montag' (on Monday), 'um 8 Uhr' (at 8 o'clock). Learn: um-am-im!
Adding prepositions to heute/gestern/morgen
'Am heute' is wrong. Just say 'heute' (today). These common time words don't need prepositions!
Forgetting article with days
'Am Monday' is wrong. Days need articles: 'am Montag', 'am Dienstag'. The 'am' includes the article (an dem = am).
Wrong word order with frequency
'Ich immer gehe ins Kino' is awkward. Better: 'Ich gehe immer ins Kino.' Frequency word usually comes AFTER the verb.
Wann kommst du? - Ich komme um 7 Uhr.
When are you coming? - I'm coming at 7 o'clock.
📚 Question with 'wann' (when) + answer with 'um' + time
Wir haben am Montag Deutsch.
We have German (class) on Monday.
📚 haben (have) + am Montag (on Monday) + Deutsch (object)
Im Winter ist es kalt.
In winter it's cold.
📚 im Winter (in winter) + ist (is) + es kalt (it cold)
Ich esse manchmal vegetarisch.
I sometimes eat vegetarian.
📚 esse (eat) + manchmal (sometimes) + vegetarisch
Der Zug kommt um halb 10 an.
The train arrives at 9:30.
📚 kommt...an (arrives) + um halb 10 (at half to 10 = 9:30)
Heute ist Mittwoch.
Today is Wednesday.
📚 heute (today) + ist (is) + Mittwoch (Wednesday)
Wir gehen oft am Wochenende aus.
We often go out on the weekend.
📚 gehen...aus (go out) + oft (often) + am Wochenende (on weekend)