Resources for further reading:
All you need for asking the time in German is:
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Wieviel Uhr ist es?
What time is it?
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You could also ask
Wie spät ist es?
How late is it?
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If you wish to ask a stranger for the time in a more polite way, you could say
Können Sie mir bitte sagen wie spät es ist?
Could you please tell me what time it is?
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The answer will start with Es ist…. It is…
For example:
Es ist neun Uhr
It is nine o'clock (9:00)
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Es ist drei Uhr
It is three o'clock (3:00)
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Talking about Quarter Hours and Thirty Minutes
You can also tell the time in 15- or 30-minute chunks.
viertel
15 min / quarter
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viertel vor
quarter to
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viertel nach
quarter past
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halb
30 min / half
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For example:
Es ist viertel nach zwei
It's a quarter past two (2:15)
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Es ist halb zwei
It's half past one (1:30)
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The sentence “Es ist halb zwei” literally translates as "it is half two." In German half two “halb zwei” means half way to two, or 1.30. Let’s have a look at some more examples
Es ist halb vier
It's half past three (3:30)
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Es ist halb zehn
It's half past nine (9:30)
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Es ist viertel vor vier
It's a quarter to four (3:45)
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Es ist viertel nach fünf
It's a quarter past five (5:15)
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Es ist viertel nach sieben
It's a quarter past seven (7:15)
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You can also tell how much time remains until striking the hour:
Es ist fünf vor drei
It's five to three (2:55)
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Es ist zehn vor fünf
It's ten to five (4:50)
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Use the word “nach” past, to tell how many minutes past the full hour it is.
Es ist fünf nach zwei
It's five past two (2:05)
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Es ist zwanzig nach vier
It's twenty past four (4:20)
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If you want more lessons on German time then I recommend these ones!
- Being able to count to 100 in German.
- Counting in German.
- Know the days of the week in German.
Bis bald!
Paul Weber: Rocket German
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