German course

Lesson 30 of 240

New here? This is lesson 30 of a free 240-lesson German course.

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What time is it in German

Anton is at the bakery door at eight o'clock on the dot. Renate is still rolling dough. He is on time.

It is Tuesday. He meant Monday. An old clock over the bread shelf has stopped.

By the end, you'll ask the time two ways, ask at what time, and say the hour or the half hour.

German halb vier is half past three, not half past four. Keep to hours and half hours for now.

By the end of this lesson

Ask the time, ask at what time, and say an hour or the half hour.

  • Wie spät ist es?What time is it?
  • Wie viel Uhr ist es?What's the time?
  • Es ist drei Uhr.It's three o'clock.
  • Es ist halb vier.It's half past three.
  • Um wie viel Uhr?At what time?
  • Es ist acht Uhr.It's eight o'clock.

Scene — eight on the dot

First morning light on Fliederstraße. Renate rolls dough at the counter. The door opens on the hour.

Anton fills the doorway, on time as always. An old clock hangs over the bread shelf and does not move.

Renate rolls dough as Priya stands inside and Anton arrives in the open bakery doorway.

Learn — hour and half hour

Six short lines cover two ways to ask the time, one way to ask at what time, and three clock answers.

You'll say three o'clock, eight o'clock, and half past three.

  1. Priya looks toward the stopped clock as she asks what time it is.

    Wie spät ist es?

    What time is it?

    When to use it: Ask this when you want the time now.

    Learn it as one piece for the time now.

    Say it: The ä in spät is a long eh sound.

  2. Anton confidently answers Priya without looking at the clock.

    Wie viel Uhr ist es?

    What's the time?

    When to use it: Ask this to hear the clock time.

    Learn it as one piece for another time question.

  3. Anton looks at the stopped clock, whose hands indicate half past.

    Es ist drei Uhr.

    It's three o'clock.

    When to use it: Say this when the clock is on three.

    Learn it as one piece for an exact hour.

  4. Priya turns from the clock to Renate and repeats the time.

    Es ist halb vier.

    It's half past three.

    When to use it: Say this when it is half past three.

    Learn it as one piece for half past three.

  5. Priya asks Renate the time, and Renate answers from the counter.

    Um wie viel Uhr?

    At what time?

    When to use it: Ask this for the time of a plan.

    Learn it as one piece when a plan has a time.

  6. Anton sits on a pair of chairs as Priya asks him at what time.

    Es ist acht Uhr.

    It's eight o'clock.

    When to use it: Say this when the clock is on eight.

    Learn it as one piece for an exact hour.

    Say it: The ch in acht is the ach sound.

Story — the wrong Monday

Anton hits eight o'clock exactly. Renate is still on the dough. The old clock on the wall has stopped.

Highlighted words are your new lines. Turn on Show English if you want it.

  1. Renate rolls dough. The lamps are on. The door opens on the hour.
  2. AntonGuten Morgen.Good morning.
  3. RenateGuten Morgen.Good morning.
  4. He looks proud. He does not look at a clock yet.
  5. PriyaWie spät ist es?What time is it?
  6. AntonEs ist drei Uhr.It's three o'clock.
  7. Then he looks at the old clock. The hands do not move. They sit at half past three.
  8. AntonEs ist halb vier.It's half past three.
  9. PriyaEs ist halb vier.It's half past three.
  10. She looks at Renate, not at the old clock.
  11. PriyaWie viel Uhr ist es?What's the time?
  12. RenateEs ist acht Uhr.It's eight o'clock.
  13. He sits on two chairs. It is Tuesday. He meant Monday, for a Pfannkuchen.
  14. PriyaUm wie viel Uhr?At what time?
  15. AntonUm acht Uhr.At eight o'clock.

Practice — clock or question

Eleven short tasks check the time questions and the clock answers.

You will hear a line, fill a gap, and swap one word.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    German

    Es ist drei Uhr.Drop the English here
    Es ist halb vier.Drop the English here
    Es ist acht Uhr.Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its German, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    You want the time now, in a short everyday line.

  4. Fill the gap

    It's half past three.

    Es ist ____ vier.

  5. What does it mean?

    Es ist drei Uhr.

  6. Swap the word

    It is eight o'clock now. Tell that time.

    Es ist ____ Uhr.

  7. Pick the reply

    Renate says:

    Wie spät ist es?

    What time is it?

    And you reply with:

  8. Build the line

    What's the time?

    ?

    Tap the words in order.

  9. What do you say?

    You want the time of a plan, not the time on the clock now.

  10. Which one doesn’t belong?

  11. True or false?

    This asks what time it is now.

Say it — tell the time

You are Priya this morning. When the mic appears, say the time line out loud.

Tap play first if you want to hear it. The recording stays on your phone.

  1. AntonGuten Morgen.Good morning.
  2. Priya (you)Ask what time it is now.

    Wie spät ist es?

    What time is it?

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

GermanEnglish
Wie spät ist es?What time is it?
Wie viel Uhr ist es?What's the time?
Es ist drei Uhr.It's three o'clock.
Es ist halb vier.It's half past three.
Um wie viel Uhr?At what time?
Es ist acht Uhr.It's eight o'clock.
Next: lesson 31Days of the week

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

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A daily Yak Cards round keeps eight o'clock and half past three ready at the door.

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