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Telling Time in German: Formal & Informal (die Uhrzeit)

Germans use two different systems depending on the situation — a precise 24-hour format for anything written or official, and a friendlier system full of "nach," "vor," and "halb" for everyday conversation. This lesson covers both, from scratch.

Formal time — schedules, transport & appointments

For train timetables, TV guides, opening hours, and appointments, German uses the 24-hour clock: "Es ist [Stunde] Uhr [Minuten]." There's no need for "am/pm" — every hour of the day has its own number, 0 to 23.

Clock	German	Listen
09:00	Es ist neun Uhr.
14:30	Es ist vierzehn Uhr dreißig.
18:45	Es ist achtzehn Uhr fünfundvierzig.
21:15	Es ist einundzwanzig Uhr fünfzehn.

Memory trick: Anything from 13 Uhr onward is simply "12 + the normal afternoon hour" — 14 Uhr is 2pm, 20 Uhr is 8pm. Subtract 12 to get the familiar English hour.

Informal time — how Germans actually talk

In everyday conversation, Germans go back to a 12-hour system, but describe the minutes using four key words: nach (past), vor (to), Viertel (quarter), and halb (half). The table below walks through one full hour using every pattern.

Clock	German	English
3:00	Es ist drei Uhr.	It's three o'clock.
3:05	Es ist fünf nach drei.	Five past three.
3:15	Es ist Viertel nach drei.	Quarter past three.
3:30	Es ist halb vier.	Half past three (halfway TO four!).
3:45	Es ist Viertel vor vier.	Quarter to four.
3:50	Es ist zehn vor vier.	Ten to four.

⚠ The #1 mistake: "halb"
"Halb vier" means 3:30, NOT 4:30. "Halb" always looks forward to the next hour, not back to the last one — it means "halfway to four," not "half past three" the way an English speaker's first instinct reads it. Get this one rule right and the rest of German time-telling is easy.

Days of the week (die Wochentage)

Months (die Monate)

🎯 Quick check

What time is "Es ist halb sechs"?