Telling the time in German has two systems: a simple formal (digital) system used in official contexts, and an informal (analogue) system used in everyday speech. Learning both is essential for understanding Germans in daily life.
Key phrases: "Wie spät ist es?" and "Wie viel Uhr ist es?" both mean "What time is it?" — both are correct and used interchangeably.
Formal Time (24-hour / Digital Style)
The formal system is used in schedules, announcements, train timetables and official contexts. It follows the 24-hour clock.
| Time | German (formal) | English |
|---|---|---|
| 08:00 | acht Uhr | eight o'clock |
| 08:15 | acht Uhr fünfzehn | eight fifteen |
| 08:30 | acht Uhr dreißig | eight thirty |
| 08:45 | acht Uhr fünfundvierzig | eight forty-five |
| 13:00 | dreizehn Uhr | thirteen hundred / 1 pm |
| 20:30 | zwanzig Uhr dreißig | twenty thirty / 8:30 pm |
Informal Time (Analogue / Conversational)
In everyday speech, Germans use a relative system based on the next full hour. This is where it gets tricky for English speakers.
⚠️ The halb trap! "halb vier" = 3:30, NOT 4:30. German "halb" means "half way TO the next hour" — so halb vier = half way to four = 3:30. English says "half past three" (looking back), German says "halb vier" (looking forward). This trips up almost every English speaker.
Complete Time Reference
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| … Uhr | o'clock | drei Uhr = 3:00 |
| Viertel nach … | quarter past | Viertel nach drei = 3:15 |
| halb … | half past (previous hour) | halb vier = 3:30 |
| Viertel vor … | quarter to | Viertel vor vier = 3:45 |
| … nach … | past | zwanzig nach drei = 3:20 |
| … vor … | to / before | zehn vor vier = 3:50 |
Daily Conversation Phrases
Master German Time with DeutschGo
Interactive flashcards and AI conversations to make time expressions second nature.
Download Free