Wie spät ist es? – How to ask and tell the time in German (A1 Level)

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to ask what time it is in German, as well as how to say the time correctly. This lesson is designed for A1-level German learners.

Table of Contents

Question: What time is it?
Private vs. Official Time Usage
How to say and write the time in German
Dialogue: Planning a time
Vocabulary: Key Phrases for Time
Official Time Usage
Asking questions with wann (when)
Dialogue: What are you doing tomorrow?
Business Hours / Öffnungszeiten
Practice exercises

⏰ Question: What time is it?

In German, there are two common ways to ask what time it is:

• Wie viel Uhr ist es? – What time is it?
• Wie spät ist es? – How late is it?

💡 Tip: You can use these phrases both in informal conversations and in official situations.

Wie spät ist es?

📅 Private vs. Official Time Usage

In German, there are two types of time usage: informal (private) and formal (official). Official time is typically heard on TV, radio, and at train and bus stations.

📅 How to say and write the time in German:

🕓 How to say the time near the full hour in German

In German, time that is a few minutes before or after the full hour is often expressed by the phrases "kurz vor" (shortly before) and "kurz nach" (shortly after).

📌 For example:

10:58 Uhr → (Es ist) kurz vor elf. 
📌 In English: It's almost eleven.

11:02 Uhr → (Es ist) kurz nach elf. 
📌 In English:  It's just after eleven.

💡 Tip: In everyday speech, Germans often use these expressions instead of specifying the exact minutes, especially when referring to the time that is just a little before or a little after the full hour.

🌞 More useful time expressions:

• Es ist Mittag. – It’s noon.
• Es ist Mitternacht. – It’s midnight.

💬 Dialogue: Planning a time

In this dialogue, we will see how time is used in everyday situations:

Mia: Ja? Hallo?
Marko: Hallo, Mia. Hier ist Marko. Hast du am Samstag Zeit?
Mia: Wann denn? Um halb sieben.
Marko: Um halb sieben. Ich mache eine Party. Kommst du auch?
Mia: Nein, ich habe leider keine Zeit. Ich arbeite von 16:00 Uhr bis 22:00 Uhr.
Marko: Am Samstag?
Mia: Ja, ich arbeite manchmal auch am Wochenende.
Marko: Schade.
Mia: Ja, sehr schade. Na ja, viel Spaß am Samstag!
Marko: Danke. Tschüss.

📖 Vocabulary: Key Phrases for Time

Here are some key phrases from the dialogue:

🏛 Official Time Usage

For official use, time is written in a 24-hour format. Here’s how to express the time:

🗓 Asking questions with wann (when)

When you ask a question with wann (when?), the answer usually starts with the preposition um.

📌 For example:

• Wann kommst du? – When do you come?
  • Um acht Uhr. – At eight o’clock.
  • Um halb vier. – At half past three.
  • Um eins. – At one o’clock.

🗣 Dialogue: What are you doing tomorrow?

Leo: Was machst du am Freitag? (What are you doing on Friday?)
Mia: Ich stehe um sieben Uhr auf. (I wake up at seven o’clock.)
Leo: Und dann?
Mia:Ich frühstücke um halb acht. (I have breakfast at half past seven.)
Leo: Und dann?
Mia:Dann nehme ich den Bus um Viertel nach acht. (Then I take the bus at a quarter past eight.)
Leo: Wann kommst du ins Büro? (When do you come to the office?)
Mia: Um halb neun. (At half past eight.)
Leo: Wann kommst du nach Hause? (When do you come home?)
Mia: Um zehn vor vier. (At ten to four.)

🏪 Business Hours / Öffnungszeiten

• Wann ist die Erste Bank geöffnet? – When is Erste Bank open?
  • Von 8 Uhr bis 17 Uhr. – From 8 AM to 5 PM.
• Wann ist die Praxis Medic geöffnet? – When is Medic practice open?
  • Von 8:30 Uhr bis 16:30 Uhr. – From 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
• Wann ist das Konzert? – When is the concert?
  • Von halb neun bis zwölf. – From half past eight to twelve.

📝 Practice exercises

1. What time is it in German? 1
2. What time is it in German? 2
3. Dialogue: What are you doing tomorrow? Practice the phrases
4. Time planning. Practice the phrases
5. Opening hours – Useful phrases

✅ Conclusion

This lesson covers basic phrases and expressions for talking about time in German. If you have any further questions or would like additional practice, please don’t hesitate to ask.