How to Say Time in German: A Complete Guide

So, You Want to Tell Time in German?

Learning German is fun until someone says “halb drei” and you confidently think, “Cool, 3:30.” But no—it’s 2:30, and your plans are now an hour late. Welcome to German time-telling.

If you’ve ever been baffled by clocks in Berlin or tried to catch a train in Munich, this guide is for you. Let’s break down how Germans tell time, how it’s different from English, and how not to get stood up on your first German date.

How Do You Ask “What Time Is It?” in German?

There are two main ways to ask someone for the time:

• Wie spät ist es? – Literally: How late is it?

• Wie viel Uhr ist es? – Literally: How much o’clock is it?

  
  

Both are perfectly acceptable. The first is more casual, the second a bit more formal—but you won’t get arrested for choosing the wrong one.

The Basics: Saying the Hour in German

Let’s start simple. When it’s exactly on the hour, Germans say:

• Es ist ein Uhr. – It’s one o’clock.

• Es ist zwei Uhr. – It’s two o’clock.

• Es ist zwölf Uhr. – It’s twelve o’clock.

  
  

It’s pretty straightforward—until it isn’t.

Half Past? Nope, Half To

Here’s where English speakers get tripped up. In German, saying it’s half three (halb drei) does not mean 3:30. It means 2:30.

Yes, Germans measure halfway to the next hour. It’s weird. It’s efficient. It’s very German.

German	What You Think It Means	What It Actually Means
halb drei	3:30	2:30
halb vier	4:30	3:30

So if someone says, “Let’s meet at halb sieben,” don’t show up at 7:30. You’ll be standing there alone wondering what you did wrong (again).

Viertel Vor, Viertel Nach

When talking about quarters of the hour, Germans keep things pretty sensible.

• Viertel nach drei – A quarter past three (3:15)

• Viertel vor vier – A quarter to four (3:45)

  
  

Notice the difference from British English, where you might hear “quarter past three” or “quarter to four.” Germans follow the same logic—so at least we’ve got that going for us.

A Few More Time Phrases to Know

German	English Translation
zehn nach vier	ten past four
zwanzig vor fünf	twenty to five
genau um sechs	exactly at six
kurz nach acht	just after eight
gegen neun	around nine
Mitternacht	midnight
Mittag	noon

The 24-Hour Clock: Because Germans Don’t Mess Around

Germans use the 24-hour clock. A lot. Trains, events, appointments—all in 24-hour format.

• 3:00 PM → 15:00

• 6:30 PM → 18:30

• 11:45 PM → 23:45

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So if you see “Der Zug kommt um 19:42,” don’t assume that’s some mysterious German math—it just means 7:42 PM.

Tip: Germans don’t usually say “PM” or “AM.” They trust the 24-hour system like it's a German-engineered car.

A Little Vocabulary to Make You Look Smart

Word	Meaning
die Uhr	the clock / o'clock
die Stunde	hour
die Minute	minute
die Sekunde	second
jetzt	now
später	later
früh	early
spät	late

Tips to Actually Remember This Stuff

1. Practice with your own clock. Walk around your house saying the time in German like a weirdo. It works.

2. Change your phone to 24-hour format. Live like the locals.

3. Watch Deutsche Bahn departure boards. Nothing teaches urgency like missing a train.

4. Quiz yourself randomly. Look at a clock, say the time in German. Or make your friends suffer through it with you.

Once you get the hang of “halb drei” not meaning 3:30, everything else about German time starts to fall into place. Germans may love rules, but at least their way of telling time mostly makes sense—after some mental gymnastics.

So next time someone asks, “Wie spät ist es?”, you’ll know exactly what to say. And you might even show up on time.

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