Time, dates & numbers
Time, dates & numbers
Clock
- Es ist drei Uhr.
- halb vier = 3:30 (half toward four)
- Viertel nach drei / Viertel vor vier
Days & months
Capitalized: Montag, Januar …
Ordinal dates
am ersten Mai, der dritte Juni (spoken forms vary by region).
Numbers 21–99
einundzwanzig (one-and-twenty) — ones unit before tens.
Practical Examples
- Es ist zehn Uhr.
- It is ten o'clock.
- Usage Note: "Uhr" is used for precise clock time (o'clock).
- Wie spät ist es? Es ist viertel nach drei.
- What time is it? It's quarter past three.
- Usage Note: "Viertel nach" means 'quarter past'. "Viertel vor" means 'quarter to'.
- Der Kurs beginnt um neun Uhr dreißig.
- The course starts at nine thirty.
- Usage Note: Use "um" to specify a particular time an event happens.
- Ich habe um halb acht einen Termin.
- I have an appointment at half past seven.
- Usage Note: "Halb acht" literally means 'half to eight', referring to 7:30.
- Wir essen gegen Mittag.
- We eat around noon.
- Usage Note: "Gegen" can be used to indicate an approximate time.
- Heute ist der dritte Mai.
- Today is May third.
- Usage Note: For dates, ordinal numbers (dritte, vierte, fünfte) are used.
- Wann ist dein Geburtstag? Er ist am zwölften Juni.
- When is your birthday? It's on June twelfth.
- Usage Note: Use "am" (an + dem) before a specific date or day of the week.
- Die Party ist am Samstag.
- The party is on Saturday.
- Usage Note: "Am" is also used for days of the week.
- Ich fliege nächste Woche.
- I fly next week.
- Usage Note: "Nächste" (next) is used with time expressions like Woche (week), Monat (month), Jahr (year).
- Wir treffen uns im Juli.
- We meet in July.
- Usage Note: Use "im" (in + dem) before months.
- Ich habe zwei Katzen.
- I have two cats.
- Usage Note: Basic cardinal numbers are used to count things.
- Wie viele Bücher hast du? Ich habe fünfzehn Bücher.
- How many books do you have? I have fifteen books.
- Usage Note: "Wie viele?" asks "how many?". Numbers from 13 to 19 follow a pattern (e.g., fünfzehn = five + ten).
- Das kostet elf Euro.
- That costs eleven Euros.
- Usage Note: Numbers are essential for prices.
- Meine Telefonnummer ist null-eins-sieben-sechs-vier-zwei-drei-acht-fünf-neun-sieben.
- My phone number is 01764238597.
- Usage Note: Digits in phone numbers are usually read out individually.
- Ich habe keine Zeit vor acht Uhr.
- I don't have time before eight o'clock.
- Usage Note: "Keine Zeit" is a common negation, combined here with a time expression using "vor" (before).
