German Vocabulary for Time: Essential Words & Phrases
Mastering German vocabulary for time is essential for everyday conversations, making appointments, and understanding schedules. Whether you're catching a train in Berlin or planning to meet friends in Vienna, these German words for time will help you communicate confidently.
Essential Time Vocabulary
These core time-related words form the foundation when you learn German time expressions. Memorize these first to build your temporal vocabulary.
| Word | Pronunciation | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| die Zeit | dee tsait | the time | Die Zeit vergeht schnell. (Time passes quickly.) |
| die Uhr | dee oor | the clock / o'clock | Es ist drei Uhr. (It is three o'clock.) |
| die Stunde | dee SHTUN-duh | the hour | Ich warte seit einer Stunde. (I've been waiting for an hour.) |
| die Minute | dee mee-NOO-tuh | the minute | Warte eine Minute! (Wait a minute!) |
| die Sekunde | dee zeh-KOON-duh | the second | Das dauert nur eine Sekunde. (That only takes a second.) |
| der Tag | dehr tahk | the day | Heute ist ein schöner Tag. (Today is a beautiful day.) |
| die Woche | dee VOH-khuh | the week | Nächste Woche fahre ich nach Berlin. (Next week I'm going to Berlin.) |
| der Monat | dehr MOH-naht | the month | Der Monat hat 30 Tage. (The month has 30 days.) |
| das Jahr | dahs yahr | the year | Dieses Jahr lerne ich Deutsch. (This year I'm learning German.) |
| gestern | GESS-tehrn | yesterday | Gestern war ich müde. (Yesterday I was tired.) |
| heute | HOY-tuh | today | Heute habe ich frei. (Today I have off.) |
| morgen | MOR-gen | tomorrow | Morgen gehen wir einkaufen. (Tomorrow we're going shopping.) |
| jetzt | yetst | now | Ich muss jetzt gehen. (I have to go now.) |
| später | SHPAY-ter | later | Bis später! (See you later!) |
| früh | frue | early | Ich stehe früh auf. (I get up early.) |
| spät | shpayt | late | Es ist schon spät. (It's already late.) |
| der Morgen | dehr MOR-gen | the morning | Am Morgen trinke ich Kaffee. (In the morning I drink coffee.) |
| der Abend | dehr AH-bent | the evening | Am Abend sehe ich fern. (In the evening I watch TV.) |
| die Nacht | dee nahkht | the night | Gute Nacht! (Good night!) |
| der Mittag | dehr MIT-tahk | noon / midday | Um Mittag esse ich zu Hause. (At noon I eat at home.) |
Common Phrases
These everyday expressions will help you ask about time and discuss schedules naturally in German.
| Phrase | Pronunciation | English | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wie spät ist es? | vee shpayt ist ess | What time is it? | Standard way to ask for the time |
| Wie viel Uhr ist es? | vee feel oor ist ess | What time is it? | Alternative, slightly more formal |
| Um wie viel Uhr? | um vee feel oor | At what time? | Um wie viel Uhr beginnt der Film? (At what time does the movie start?) |
| Es ist halb drei. | ess ist halp dry | It is half past two. | Note: "halb drei" means halfway TO three |
| Viertel vor | FEER-tel for | quarter to | Es ist Viertel vor acht. (It's quarter to eight.) |
| Viertel nach | FEER-tel nahkh | quarter past | Es ist Viertel nach sechs. (It's quarter past six.) |
| von ... bis ... | fon ... bis | from ... to ... | Ich arbeite von neun bis fünf. (I work from nine to five.) |
| Wie lange? | vee LAHNG-uh | How long? | Wie lange dauert die Fahrt? (How long does the trip take?) |
| Es dauert... | ess DOW-ert | It takes... | Es dauert zwei Stunden. (It takes two hours.) |
| vor einer Woche | for EYE-ner VOH-khuh | a week ago | Vor einer Woche war ich in München. (A week ago I was in Munich.) |
| in einer Woche | in EYE-ner VOH-khuh | in a week | In einer Woche habe ich Urlaub. (In a week I have vacation.) |
Usage Notes
Understanding how Germans express time involves some important cultural and grammatical considerations:
- The 24-hour clock is standard: In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, official times (train schedules, appointments, TV programs) use the 24-hour format. "Der Zug fährt um 15:30" (The train departs at 3:30 PM) is completely normal.
- "Halb" works differently: This is crucial! "Halb drei" means 2:30, NOT 3:30. Germans think of it as "halfway to three." This catches many learners off guard.
- Regional variations exist: In some regions, you'll hear "dreiviertel drei" (three-quarters three = 2:45) and "viertel drei" (quarter three = 2:15). In other areas, people say "Viertel vor drei" and "Viertel nach zwei."
- Preposition "um" for specific times: Use "um" when stating a specific time: "um acht Uhr" (at eight o'clock).
- Preposition "am" for days and parts of day: Use "am" for days ("am Montag") and parts of the day ("am Morgen"), except for "in der Nacht" (at night).
- Punctuality is valued: Germans take time seriously. Being late, even by a few minutes, is considered impolite. When meeting someone, aim to arrive on time or slightly early.
Practice Sentences
Use these example sentences to practice your German time vocabulary in context:
- Ich stehe jeden Tag um sieben Uhr auf.
I get up at seven o'clock every day. - Der Unterricht beginnt um neun und endet um zwölf.
The class starts at nine and ends at twelve. - Wie lange dauert der Flug nach Berlin?
How long does the flight to Berlin take? - Gestern bin ich zu spät zur Arbeit gekommen.
Yesterday I arrived late to work. - Nächsten Monat fahren wir in den Urlaub.
Next month we're going on vacation. - Kannst du morgen früh kommen?
Can you come tomorrow morning? - Ich habe keine Zeit – vielleicht später!
I don't have time – maybe later! - Vor zwei Jahren habe ich angefangen, Deutsch zu lernen.
Two years ago I started learning German. - Die Bäckerei öffnet um halb sieben.
The bakery opens at half past six. - Wir treffen uns um Viertel nach acht am Bahnhof.
We're meeting at quarter past eight at the train station.
Regular practice with these German words for time will help you feel comfortable discussing schedules, making plans, and navigating daily life in German-speaking countries. Try using a few of these expressions each day until they become second nature!