Telling the Time
Knowing how to tell the time in German is one of the most practical skills you can learn early on. You need it to catch trains, make appointments, meet friends, and understand opening hours — situations you will face from day one in a German-speaking country.
The good news: the system is very regular. There are only a handful of building blocks (Uhr, nach, vor, Viertel, halb, um), and once you know them, you can say any time of day. There is just one famous trap with halb — we will deal with it head-on below.
Asking the Time and the Official Clock
To ask the time, use either of these (they mean the same):
- Wie spät ist es? – What time is it? (literally: "How late is it?")
- Wie viel Uhr ist es? – What time is it?
The answer always starts with Es ist ... (It is ...). In official contexts (train stations, TV, appointments), Germans use the 24-hour clock with the pattern [hour] Uhr [minutes]:
| Clock | German (official) | English |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 | Es ist acht Uhr. | It is 8:00 a.m. |
| 9:05 | Es ist neun Uhr fünf. | It is 9:05 a.m. |
| 14:30 | Es ist vierzehn Uhr dreißig. | It is 2:30 p.m. |
| 20:15 | Es ist zwanzig Uhr fünfzehn. | It is 8:15 p.m. |
Note that Uhr sits between the hour and the minutes — not at the end.
Everyday Time: nach, vor, Viertel
In conversation, Germans usually use the 12-hour clock with these words:
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [minutes] nach [hour] | past | fünf nach sechs = 6:05 |
| [minutes] vor [hour] | to | zehn vor acht = 7:50 |
| Viertel nach [hour] | quarter past | Viertel nach drei = 3:15 |
| Viertel vor [hour] | quarter to | Viertel vor neun = 8:45 |
So nach works like English "past" and vor like English "to". With the 12-hour clock you normally drop the word Uhr: Es ist Viertel nach drei (not Viertel nach drei Uhr).
The halb Trap: Half TO the Next Hour
This is the single most important rule in this lesson. English says "half past two" (2:30), but German halb looks forward to the next hour:
| German | Think | Clock |
|---|---|---|
| halb drei | halfway to three | 2:30 |
| halb sieben | halfway to seven | 6:30 |
| halb zwölf | halfway to twelve | 11:30 |
So halb drei is 2:30, never 3:30. A reliable mental trick: take the German hour and subtract one, then add :30. There is also no such phrase as halb nach — halb always stands directly before the hour.
Saying "At" a Time: um
To say when something happens, use um + time:
- Der Kurs beginnt um neun Uhr. – The course starts at nine o'clock.
- Wir treffen uns um halb acht. – We're meeting at 7:30.
The matching question word is Wann? (When?) or Um wie viel Uhr? (At what time?):
- Wann beginnt der Film? – Um zwanzig Uhr.
Don't translate English "at" with an or in here — for clock times it is always um.
📖 Examples
Wie spät ist es?
What time is it?
Es ist drei Uhr.
It is three o'clock.
Es ist fünf nach sechs.
It is five past six.
Es ist Viertel nach sieben.
It is quarter past seven.
Es ist halb neun.
It is half past eight (8:30).
Es ist Viertel vor zehn.
It is quarter to ten (9:45).
Der Zug fährt um 14:30 Uhr.
The train leaves at 2:30 p.m.
Wann beginnt der Kurs? – Um neun Uhr.
When does the course start? – At nine o'clock.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Es ist halb drei. (meaning 3:30)Es ist halb drei. (= 2:30)
English speakers read halb like "half past", but German halb points to the NEXT hour: halb drei means halfway to three, i.e. 2:30. For 3:30 you need halb vier.
Es ist halb nach zwei.Es ist halb drei.
The phrase "halb nach" does not exist in German. halb is never combined with nach — it stands directly before the coming hour.
Der Film beginnt an acht Uhr.Der Film beginnt um acht Uhr.
English "at eight o'clock" tempts learners to use an, but German always uses um with clock times. an is used with days (am Montag), not with hours.
Es ist vierzehn dreißig Uhr.Es ist vierzehn Uhr dreißig.
In official time, Uhr goes between the hour and the minutes, not at the end. English "fourteen thirty" puts the minutes right after the hour, which causes this word-order slip.
✏️ Exercises
Test your understanding. Click an option or type your answer, then check.
What time is "halb sieben"?
How do you say 9:15 in everyday German?
Der Film beginnt ___ 20 Uhr.
"Es ist Viertel vor vier." What time is it?
Which question correctly asks for the time?
How do you say 14:30 in official (24-hour) German?
Der Unterricht beginnt ___ neun Uhr. (at)
Es ist ___ nach sechs. (quarter)
Es ist halb ___. (4:30)
Wie ___ ist es? (spät)