Telling Time In GermanHow To Read The Clock
Let's learn how to ask for the time, and how to tell the time in German. There are a few expressions and important words to learn, but once you have them memorised, you'll be ready to make appointments and schedule meetings without a problem!
For this lesson, you will need to know the German numbers 1-60. For a refresher on this topic, you may turn back to the previous article on German numbers. Otherwise, read on!
Telling Time: Important Vocabulary
Let's begin, with a couple important, time-related words:
You might use them like this:
Die Uhrzeit (clock time) only refers to time as represented on the clock, whilst die Zeit (time) may also refer to the passage of time or a measurable period in general.
How To Ask For The Time
Now, let's learn how to ask for the time, using the words we have just learned.
The German word Uhr does not only refer to the object clock, but also to o'clock. With this in mind, Wie viel Uhr ist es? literally means: How much o'clock is it?
How To Read The Clock
1. To the hour
Now, let's turn our attention to reading the time in German. This is where thing's get a little more complicated, with more vocabulary to learn.
Though, not yet!
In order to tell the time to the hour, we just need the word Uhr again!
Note that in German, there is no AM or PM, although the words morgens, mittags and abends can be used to refer to a certain time period in the day.
However, in German, we may also read the time to the hour as measured in 24 hours. So, 3pm can be referred to simply as fünfzehn Uhr, or 8pm as zwanzig Uhr.
What time are these images describing? Click your chosen option, to reveal the correct answer.
Before we move on to how to the tell the time to the hour hour, let's learn one more helpful word:
The word gegen can be used to describe a rough reading of the time:
Well done! 🎉
You now know how to tell the time to the hour!
Let's continue by getting a little more specific.
2. To the half hour
In English, we may say something like: half past two, to refer to the time: 2:30, or literally half an hour past two o'clock.
In German, we may say something like: halb Zwei. However, this refers to the time 1:30. This might be a little confusing at first, but try to imagine what halb Zwei or, literally, half of two o'clock would look like on a watch face.
Hopefully the most intuitive answer that comes to mind is two o'clock minus half an hour!
Important to note: when telling the time to the half hour, we read the time as measured in 12 hours. So, 10:30pm would be read as halb elf and not as halb zweiundzwanzig.
Here are some illustrations of a clock telling the time. What times are being shown here? Click on your chosen option, to reveal the correct answer.
3. To the quarter hour
Much like how in English we make use of the words to and past to describe a quarter hour before or after a certain time, we may use the German words vor and nach to do the same thing.
When telling the time to the quarter hour, we read the time as measured in 12 hours. So, 10:15pm would be read as viertel nach zehn and not as viertel nach zweiundzwanzig.
Here are some more illustrations of a clock telling the time. What times are being shown here? Click on your chosen option, to reveal the correct answer.
4. To the minute
Alternatively, we may also tell the time to the minute:
We may also use the words vor und nach here, too:
Here are some more illustrations of a clock telling the time. What times are being shown here? Click on your chosen option, to reveal the correct answer.
Well done 🎉! You have learned how to tell the time, in German! Here are some more helpful words to learn, as you gain confidence in reading the clock.
More German Words Related to Time
Well done! 🎉
You have completed this lesson. Now, let's put what we've just learned to good use in the next lesson: Making Appointments.