What Time Is It: The German Way of Telling Time

Is today bones or no bones day? Whatever type of day today is, you’re about to learn how to tell the time in German.

Germans believe that being on time is a serious and sacred thing and one of the best ways to show respect. To be punctual is to show honor and appreciation. So when in Deutschland, please please please try NOT to be late. If you are unfortunately late, make sure to call ahead.

In many European countries, like Germany, the 24-hour clock is often used. To get the 24-hour clock, add the number 12 to the hour afternoon. For example, to find out what time corresponds to 3 PM, add 12 to 3, which sums to 15.

If you're studying German, learning how to tell and ask for time is essential to navigating the German way of life. This skill will help you understand culture better, including quirky expressions and idioms.

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Basic Time Vocabulary

• Uhr (uur) – o’clock
• Die Uhr (dee uur) – clock
• Zeit (zite) – time
• Vor (for) – before
• Nach (naach) – past
• Viertel (fir-tel) – quarter
• Halb (halp) – half
• Um (oom) – at or around
• Kurz (kurtz) – shortly

Asking for the Time

It is polite to start with Entschuldigung (excuse me) before asking a question.

To people your age:

Entschuldigung, kannst du mir bitte sagen wie spät es ist? (Excuse me, can you please tell me what time it is?)

To people older than you:

Entschuldigung, können Sie mir bitte sagen wie spät es ist? (Formal version)

Days of the Week

• Montag (mohn-taak) – Monday
• Dienstag (deens-tak) – Tuesday
• Mittwoch (mitt-voch) – Wednesday (Midweek)
• Donnerstag (doner-staak) – Thursday
• Freitag (fry-taak) – Friday
• Samstag (zahm-staak) – Saturday
• Sonntag (zohn-taak) – Sunday

Telling the Time

• Es ist halb zehn – it is 9:30 (Half toward ten)
• Es ist zehn vor neun – it is 8:50 (Ten before nine)
• Es ist Viertel nach neun – it is 9:15 (Quarter past nine)
• Es ist acht Uhr – it is 8:00