How to Tell the Time in German

Knowing how to tell the time in German is one of the most practical skills you can build as a learner — you will use it in every conversation that involves schedules, appointments, or daily routines. Whether you are a complete beginner or working to sharpen your intermediate German, this guide gives you everything you need to express and understand time with confidence.

In this guide, you will learn:

• How to say the time on the hour using Es ist and German numbers
• The German 24-hour clock and when Germans use it
• How to express half past, quarter past, and quarter to in German
• How to state exact minutes using nach, vor, and the [Hour] Uhr [Minutes] formula
• Time-of-day phrases such as morgens, nachmittags, and abends
• Colloquial expressions like kurz vor, kurz nach, and gleich
• How to ask for the time and hold a natural time-related conversation

In German-speaking countries, punctuality is taken seriously — arriving on time is the norm, and being late without notice is considered impolite. Whether you are catching a train in Berlin, attending a business meeting in Vienna, or meeting friends in Zurich, being able to read, express, and understand time in German is an essential everyday skill. The good news is that once you learn the core patterns, telling the time in German becomes second nature.

A great way to start is by watching the following video, in which Jenny gives an overview of how telling time in German works, what you need to memorize, and how pronunciation works.

Essential German Time Vocabulary

Before diving into the different time formats, it helps to have these core German time words in your toolkit. You will encounter all of them throughout this guide.

• Uhr — clock / o’clock (used after the hour number)
• halb — half (refers to the half hour before the next hour, not after the current one)
• Viertel — quarter
• nach — past / after (used for minutes past the hour)
• vor — to / before (used for minutes before the next hour)
• um — at (used when specifying a time — um drei Uhr means at three o’clock)
• wann — when (the question word for asking about time — Wann beginnt der Kurs? means When does the course start?)
• morgens — in the morning
• vormittags — late morning
• mittags — at noon
• nachmittags — in the afternoon
• abends — in the evening
• nachts — at night
• Mitternacht — midnight
• kurz vor — just before
• kurz nach — just after
• gleich — almost / in a moment

How to Tell the Time On the Hour

In German, telling the time on the hour is pretty straightforward. You use the structure Es ist (It is) followed by the hour. Here is the complete reference for all twelve hours:

• Es ist ein Uhr (It is one o’clock)
• Es ist zwei Uhr (It is two o’clock)
• Es ist drei Uhr (It is three o’clock)
• Es ist vier Uhr (It is four o’clock)
• Es ist fünf Uhr (It is five o’clock)
• Es ist sechs Uhr (It is six o’clock)
• Es ist sieben Uhr (It is seven o’clock)
• Es ist acht Uhr (It is eight o’clock)
• Es ist neun Uhr (It is nine o’clock)
• Es ist zehn Uhr (It is ten o’clock)
• Es ist elf Uhr (It is eleven o’clock)
• Es ist zwölf Uhr (It is twelve o’clock — noon or midnight)

Note: Es ist ein Uhr uses ein (not eins) because it is followed by Uhr. This is a small but important distinction that trips up many beginners.

A solid grasp of German numbers is essential for telling the time. You will need numbers from one to fifty-nine, including compound numbers like einundzwanzig (21), zweiundzwanzig (22), and fünfunddreißig (35), which follow the pattern [ones]und[tens]. Here are the key tens to memorize: zehn (10), zwanzig (20), dreißig (30), vierzig (40), fünfzig (50). If you are not yet confident with German numbers, take time to review them before continuing — it will make the rest of this guide much easier to follow.

The 24-Hour-Clock

In German, the 24-hour clock is commonly used in formal contexts such as timetables, schedules, radio or TV programs, formal written communication, and business hours. This format makes it easy to make sure the time of day is clear. It is often referred to as military time in English-speaking countries, particularly in the US.

Unlike the 12-hour format, the 24-hour system doesn’t require specifying “AM” or “PM” since the day is divided into 24 hours, starting at midnight. For example, 3:00 p.m. is written as 15.00 Uhr in the 24-hour format, and 7:30 p.m. becomes 19.30 Uhr.

• Es ist 16 Uhr. In spoken language, you would say: Es ist sechzehn Uhr. (It is sixteen o’clock / It is 4 p.m.)
• Es ist 14.30 Uhr. You would say: Es ist vierzehn Uhr dreißig. (It is fourteen hours and thirty minutes / it is 2:30 p.m.)
• Um 18 Uhr beginnt der Deutschkurs. You would say: Um achtzehn Uhr beginnt der Deutschkurs. (The German class begins at eighteen o’clock / The German class begins at 6 p.m.)
• Um 22 Uhr gehe ich ins Bett. You would say: Um zweiundzwanzig Uhr gehe ich ins Bett. (I go to bed at twenty-two o’clock. / I go to bed at 10 p.m.)
• Die Fernsehsendung fängt um 20.15 Uhr an. You would say: Die Sendung fängt um zwanzig Uhr fünfzehn an. (The TV show starts at twenty hours and fifteen minutes / The TV show starts at 8:15 p.m.)

How to Say Half Past and Quarter Past/Quarter To

When expressing half and quarter hours, German uses specific terms:

Half past

In German, half an hour before the next hour is expressed by using the word halb (half). For example:

• Es ist halb drei means It is half past two (literally: half three). This is either 2:30 a.m. or 2:30 p.m.
• Es ist halb fünf means It is half past four. This is either 4:30 a.m. or 4:30 p.m.
• Es ist halb neun means It is half past eight. This is either 8:30 a.m. or 8:30 p.m.

Watch Out: The Halb Trap

One of the most common mistakes German learners make is misreading halb. In German, halb drei does not mean 3:30 — it means 2:30, because halb describes the half hour leading up to the next hour, not the half hour that has passed. Confusing this by even one hour can mean missing a meeting, a train, or a dinner reservation.

The same care applies to vor and nach. Learners frequently swap these two prepositions, using nach when they mean vor and vice versa. Remember: nach means past (moving away from the hour), and vor means to (moving toward the next hour). These three mistakes come up again and again for beginners:

• Saying halb drei when meaning 3:30 instead of 2:30 — halb always points forward to the next hour.
• Using nach when meaning vor, or the other way around — double-check the direction before speaking.
• Forgetting that the 24-hour clock drops AM/PM entirely — context and the hour number do that work for you.

Quarter past

To say quarter past the hour, you use Viertel nach (quarter past):

• Es ist Viertel nach vier means It is a quarter past four. This is either 4:15 a.m. or 4:15 p.m.
• Es ist Viertel nach sechs means It is a quarter past six. This is either 6:15 a.m. or 6:15 p.m.
• Es ist Viertel nach elf means It is a quarter past eleven. This is either 11:15 a.m. or 11:15 p.m.

Quarter to

To express a quarter to the next hour, use Viertel vor (quarter to).

• Es ist Viertel vor fünf means It is a quarter to five. This is either 4:45 a.m. or 4:45 p.m.
• Es ist Viertel vor zehn means It is a quarter to ten. This is either 9:45 a.m. or 9:45 p.m.
• Es ist Viertel vor zwölf means It is a quarter to twelve. This is either 11:45 a.m. or 11:45 p.m.

How to Tell the Exact Time

The simplest way to state any time in German is to follow this formula: [Hour] Uhr [Minutes]. For example, 4:35 becomes vier Uhr fünfunddreißig, and 9:12 becomes neun Uhr zwölf. This pattern works for any time and is widely understood in both formal and informal contexts.

When giving the exact minute, Germans also use nach (past) and vor (to) to describe time in relation to the hour. This is used frequently by native speakers. Here’s how:

• Es ist zehn nach drei means It is ten past three. This is either 3:10 a.m. or 3:10 p.m.
• Es ist zwanzig nach fünf means It is twenty past five. This is either 5:20 a.m. or 5:20 p.m.
• Es ist zwanzig vor vier means It is twenty to four. This is either 3:40 a.m. or 3:40 p.m.
• Es ist zehn vor zwei means It is ten to two. This is either 1:50 a.m. or 1:50 p.m.

For exact times, just state the minute:

• Es ist drei Uhr fünfzehn means It is three fifteen.
• Es ist fünf Uhr dreiundvierzig means It is five forty-three.
• Es ist fünfzehn Uhr sechsundzwanzig means It is 3:26 p.m.
• Es ist acht Uhr sieben means It is 8:07 a.m.

The fünfundzwanzig Increment

Native speakers also use fünfundzwanzig nach (twenty-five past) and fünfundzwanzig vor (twenty-five to) for times at the 25- and 35-minute marks:

• Es ist fünfundzwanzig nach drei (It is twenty-five past three — 3:25)
• Es ist fünfundzwanzig vor acht (It is twenty-five to eight — 7:35)

Native speakers use these expressions naturally in conversation, though the [Hour] Uhr [Minutes] formula is always an acceptable alternative.

How to Say the Time of Day in German

When speaking, Germans often use the 12-hour format with phrases like “morgens” (in the morning), “nachmittags” (in the afternoon), “abends” (in the evening), or “nachts” (at night). Let’s take a look at a few examples:

• morgens (morning)
• vormittags (late morning)
• mittags (noon)
• nachmittags (afternoon)
• abends (evening)
• nachts (night)
• um Mitternacht (at midnight)

Examples:

• Es ist zehn Uhr morgens (It is ten in the morning).
• Wir treffen uns vormittags um 11 Uhr. (We are meeting in the morning at 11.)
• Wir gehen mittags essen. (We are going out to eat at noon.)
• Wir essen um vier Uhr nachmittags Kuchen. (We are having cake at 4 p.m.)
• Es ist sieben Uhr abends (It is seven in the evening).
• Wir werden um Mitternacht das Feuerwerk anschauen. (We’ll look at the fireworks at midnight.)
• Um zwei Uhr nachts hat der Hund meiner Nachbarin gebellt. (My neighbor’s dog barked at two at night.)

Ways To Express the Time in German

In addition to the formal ways of telling the time, Germans use colloquial expressions, too. Some examples include:

Kurz vor (just before)

This expression is used to indicate a time slightly before the hour:

• Es ist kurz vor drei (It’s just before three).
• Wir fahren um kurz vor vier los (We are leaving just before four).

Kurz nach (just after)

This expression is used to indicate a time slightly after the hour:

• Es ist kurz nach eins (It’s just after one).
• Um kurz nach sieben hat er angerufen (He called just after seven).

Gleich (almost)

This expression indicates an approximate time:

• Es ist gleich vier Uhr (It’s almost four o’clock).

These expressions can make you sound more like a native speaker.

How to Ask for The Time in German

To ask someone for the time in German, the most common phrase is:

• Wie spät ist es? (What time is it?)

Alternatively, you can ask:

• Wie viel Uhr ist es? (What time is it?)

Both are interchangeable and commonly used in daily conversation.

To ask when something happens, use wann? (when). This is different from asking for the current time — wann is used when you want to know the timing of an event. For example: Wann beginnt der Film? (When does the film start?) — Um neun Uhr. (At nine o’clock.) Wann treffen wir uns? (When are we meeting?) — Um halb drei. (At half past two.)

The preposition um means at when referring to a specific time. You will use it constantly in everyday German. For example: Der Zug fährt um acht Uhr ab. (The train departs at eight o’clock.) Wir essen um halb eins. (We eat at half past twelve.)

How to Answer: Responding to Time Questions

Knowing how to ask for the time is only half the skill — you also need to be comfortable responding. Here are three natural question-and-answer exchanges:

• Wie spät ist es? — Es ist Viertel nach fünf. (What time is it? — It is quarter past five.)
• Wann beginnt der Film? — Um halb acht. (When does the film start? — At half past seven.)
• Wie viel Uhr ist es? — Es ist kurz vor zehn. (What time is it? — It is just before ten.)

Practice Exercises: How to Reinforce Your German Time-Telling Skills

Putting what you have learned into active practice is the fastest way to make German time expressions feel natural. The exercises below give you concrete, immediately usable ways to do exactly that.

Memory Game

Write 12 cards with German time expressions — for example, halb drei, Viertel nach fünf, zehn vor acht — and 12 matching cards with the corresponding clock time in digits, such as 2:30, 5:15, and 7:50. Shuffle all 24 cards face down and turn them over two at a time, trying to find matching pairs. This exercise builds both written recognition and visual association at the same time, which reinforces memory more effectively than reading alone.

Pronunciation Fun

Choose three to five time expressions from this guide and say each one out loud ten times, gradually increasing your speed. Good starting points are Viertel vor vier (a quarter to four) and halb sieben (half past six), since both contain sounds that require precise articulation. Record yourself on your phone, then play it back and compare your pronunciation to the video at the top of this page. Repeat the drill daily for one week and notice how quickly fluency builds.

Daily Clock Practice

Throughout the day, look at your watch or a clock and say the time out loud in German. Vary the format each time: use the 24-hour clock in the morning, the nach/vor structure at midday, and time-of-day phrases like morgens or nachmittags in the afternoon. Aim for at least five repetitions per day. This regular practice builds the automatic recall you need for real conversations.

Everyday Conversation

When you get the opportunity, ask a German-speaking conversation partner or language exchange contact for the time in German — Wie spät ist es? or Wie viel Uhr ist es? — and practice responding when they ask you back. Hearing time expressions used naturally by another speaker helps you internalize the rhythm and phrasing far more quickly than reading alone. Even one short exchange per day adds up quickly.

Wie spät ist es? Self-Quiz

Test yourself: how would you say each of these times in German? Try to write your answer before checking.

• 3:30 — Answer: Es ist halb vier.
• 7:15 — Answer: Es ist Viertel nach sieben.
• 9:45 — Answer: Es ist Viertel vor zehn.
• 11:25 — Answer: Es ist fünfundzwanzig nach elf.
• 6:00 — Answer: Es ist sechs Uhr.

German Time Expressions: Quick-Reference Summary

Use this summary as a quick reference whenever you need to recall the different ways to express time in German.

On the Hour

• Es ist drei Uhr (It is three o’clock)
• Es ist zwölf Uhr (It is twelve o’clock)

Half Past

• Es ist halb vier (It is half past three — 3:30)
• Es ist halb neun (It is half past eight — 8:30)

Quarter Past and Quarter To

• Es ist Viertel nach sechs (It is quarter past six — 6:15)
• Es ist Viertel vor zehn (It is quarter to ten — 9:45)

Exact Minutes

• Es ist vier Uhr fünfzehn (It is 4:15)
• Es ist zehn nach drei (It is ten past three — 3:10)
• Es ist fünfundzwanzig vor acht (It is twenty-five to eight — 7:35)

Time-of-Day Phrases

• Es ist zehn Uhr morgens (It is ten in the morning)
• Es ist sieben Uhr abends (It is seven in the evening)
• Um Mitternacht (At midnight)

In Closing

Learning to tell time in the German language is an important skill, but it can also be fun, especially with interactive games and resources. From mastering the basics of on-the-hour time to understanding half and quarter hours and asking for the time, you’re now equipped with the skills to tell time in German confidently.