How to Tell the Time in German

What will you learn?

In German, the same time can often be expressed in two ways. For example, 16:30 can be said as sechzehn Uhr dreißig in an official context or halb fünf in everyday conversation. This guide shows you how both systems work and when to use them.

• How to ask the time
• Numbers you need
• Official time: 24-hour clock
• Informal time: everyday speech
• Minutes past and to
• Morning, afternoon, evening
• When to use each system
• Examples and conversions
• Dialogues
• Common mistakes
• Exercises and answer key

1. How to ask the time in German

How to answer

• Es ist neun Uhr. — It is nine o'clock.
• Es ist halb drei. — It is half past two (2:30).
• Es ist vierzehn Uhr fünfundzwanzig. — It is 14:25.

2. Numbers you need to tell the time

Learn these numbers first. For clock time, numbers from 1 to 12 are especially important for everyday speech; the 24-hour system uses numbers up to 23 for hours.

3. Official time: the 24-hour clock

Official time is used for schedules, timetables, appointments, announcements, business hours, and other situations where precision matters. It is also called the 24-hour clock.

Basic structure

Say the hour, then Uhr, then the minutes:

14:25 → vierzehn Uhr fünfundzwanzig

Es ist vierzehn Uhr fünfundzwanzig. — It is 14:25 (2:25 p.m.).

Important: how to say minutes with a zero

• 07:03 → sieben Uhr drei
• 10:04 → zehn Uhr vier
• 12:08 → zwölf Uhr acht

In spoken German, you do not normally need to say null before a single-digit minute. The digital display may show a leading zero, but the spoken form can simply be Uhr drei, Uhr vier, or Uhr acht.

When the time is exactly on the hour

Use the hour followed by Uhr:

• 05:00 → fünf Uhr
• 12:00 → zwölf Uhr
• 20:00 → zwanzig Uhr

4. Informal time: everyday German

In everyday conversation, speakers often use a 12-hour-style system with expressions such as halb, Viertel nach, and Viertel vor. The key is to think of the next hour when you hear halb.

O'clock: Uhr

For exact hours, Uhr is used in both official and everyday speech:

• 08:00 → acht Uhr
• 13:00 → ein Uhr (everyday context) or dreizehn Uhr (official)
• 19:00 → sieben Uhr (everyday context) or neunzehn Uhr (official)

Nach = past / after the hour

For minutes after an hour, say the minute followed by nach and the current hour.

Vor = to / before the next hour

For minutes before the next hour, say the minutes remaining, then vor and the next hour.

Halb = half to the next hour

This is one of the most important differences between German and English. In German, halb acht means halfway to eight, or 7:30—not 8:30.

Viertel = quarter

In many regions, Viertel nach and Viertel vor are used:

• 10:15 → Viertel nach zehn
• 10:45 → Viertel vor elf

Regional variations also exist, especially in parts of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. A learner can confidently use Viertel nach and Viertel vor as broadly understood forms, while being aware that other regional expressions may be heard.

5. A practical pattern for informal minutes

Use this reference for the common expressions. Informal time often follows a quarter-hour pattern, but other minutes can be expressed with nach and vor too.

6. Adding morning, afternoon, and evening

Because informal time often uses a 12-hour clock, context helps clarify whether a time is in the morning or evening. You can add these words:

Examples using informal time:

• 7:00 a.m. → sieben Uhr morgens
• 3:00 p.m. → drei Uhr nachmittags
• 8:00 p.m. → acht Uhr abends
• 9:30 p.m. → halb zehn abends

7. When to use official or informal time

One time, two ways

8. Many examples: read, say, and convert

Try saying each time in both systems. The informal version assumes the context makes morning or evening clear.

Talking about the time of an event

• Der Unterricht beginnt um acht Uhr. — Class starts at eight.
• Wir treffen uns um halb sechs. — We'll meet at 5:30.
• Der Bus kommt um 16:25 Uhr. — The bus arrives at 16:25 (4:25 p.m.).
• Das Geschäft öffnet um neun Uhr morgens. — The shop opens at nine in the morning.
• Ich gehe um Viertel nach zehn ins Bett. — I go to bed at 10:15.

9. Real-life dialogues

Dialogue 1: Asking a friend for the time

Dialogue 2: Arranging a meeting

Dialogue 3: Asking about a train departure

Dialogue 4: Clarifying an appointment time

10. Common mistakes and how to avoid them

11. Exercises

Complete the exercises before opening the answer key. Use the time format requested in each task.

12. Quick revision: the essential rules

1. Ask Wie spät ist es? or Wie viel Uhr ist es? to ask the current time.
2. For official schedules, use the 24-hour clock: vierzehn Uhr dreißig = 14:30.
3. For everyday time, use nach (past), vor (to), Viertel (quarter), and halb (half to the next hour).
4. Halb acht means 7:30, not 8:30.
5. Use um for the time an event happens: Der Kurs beginnt um neun Uhr.
6. Use context words like morgens, nachmittags, and abends when needed.