German Time Expressions

How to tell time in German, with pronunciation

     

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German Time / Die Zeit

What time is it?	Wie spät ist es?	vee shpayt isst ess
(It is) 2 AM	Es ist zwei Uhr nachts	ess ist tsvy oor nahkts
2 PM	Es ist zwei Uhr nachmittags	tsvy oor nahk-mih-tahks
6:20	Es ist sechs Uhr zwanzig	zex oor tsvahn-tsikh
half past 3	Es ist halb vier	hahlp feer
quarter past 4	Es ist Viertel nach vier	feer-tel nahk feer
quarter to 5	Es ist Viertel vor fünf	feer-tel for fewnf
10 past 11	Es ist zehn nach elf	tsyan nahk elf
20 to 7	Es ist zwanzig vor sieben	tsvahn-tsikh for zee-bun
noon	Es ist nachmittag	nakh-mih-tahk
midnight	Es ist mitternacht	mih-ter-nahk
in the morning	morgens / früh	mawr-guns / frew
in the evening	abends	aah-bunts
It's exactly...	Es ist genau...	ess ist guh-now
At 8.	Um 8 Uhr.	oom akht oor
early(ier)	früh(er)	frew(er)
late(r)	spät(er)	shpayt(er)

Official time, such as for bus and train schedules, always uses the 24 hour clock. Notice that halb + number means half to, not half past, so you have to use the hour that comes next.

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