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Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn how to use German adverbs for times of day like morgens (in the morning), nachmittags (in the afternoon), and abends (in the evening) to describe when actions occur.
Adverb (adverb)Beispiel (Example)
morgensMorgens ist es manchmal windig.  (In the mornings it is sometimes windy.)
vormittagsVormittags regnet es oft ein bisschen.  (In the mornings, it often rains a little.)
mittagsMittags scheint meistens die Sonne.  (At midday, the sun usually shines.)
nachmittagsNachmittags ist es noch immer warm. (In the afternoons it is still warm.)
abendsAbends wird es kalt.  (In the evening it gets cold.)
nachtsNachts bleibt es kalt.  (At night it stays cold.)

Exceptions!

  1. If they give a precise time reference in a specific sentence (e.g. „um 8 Uhr morgens“), then an additional noun or a more precise time indication may be necessary.

Exercise 1: Tageszeiten als Adverbien

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

Nachmittags, nachmittags, Abends, Nachts, abends, Vormittags, Morgens

1.
19:00: Freitag ... ist Date-Night.
(7:00 pm: Friday evening is date night.)
2.
11:00: ... arbeite ich oft in der Sonne.
(11:00 a.m. I often work in the sun in the morning.)
3.
16:30: ... fängt es oft an zu regnen.
(16:30: It often starts to rain in the afternoon.)
4.
17:15: Samstag ... gehe ich normalerweise einkaufen.
(17:15: On Saturday afternoons, I usually go shopping.)
5.
8:45: ... trinke ich immer einen Kaffee.
(8:45 in the morning I always drink a coffee.)
6.
20:30: ... lese ich oft ein Buch.
(20:30: In the evening, I often read a book.)
7.
9:15: ... ist das Wetter oft erst schlecht.
(9:15: In the morning, the weather is often bad at first.)
8.
1:00: ... ist es sehr kalt.
(1:00 a.m. It is very cold at night.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Wir laufen _____ im Park, wenn die Luft frisch ist.

(We run _____ in the park when the air is fresh.)

2. _____ scheint die Sonne warm auf der Terrasse.

(_____ the sun shines warmly on the terrace.)

3. Wir haben heute _____ schlechtes Wetter, es ist sonnig.

(We don’t have _____ bad weather today, it is sunny.)

4. Im Winter wird es _____ sehr schnell dunkel.

(In winter it gets dark very quickly _____.)

5. Der Wetterbericht sagt, dass es _____ regnet.

(The weather report says that it does not rain _____.)

6. Ich trinke _____ keinen Kaffee, sondern lieber Tee.

(I don’t drink _____ coffee, but rather tea.)

Understanding Time-of-Day Adverbs in German

This lesson introduces you to German adverbs that specify different times of the day. These words help you express when an action takes place, an essential skill for everyday conversation and describing routines or weather conditions.

Key Adverbs of Time

  • morgens – as in Morgens ist es manchmal windig.
  • vormittags – as in Vormittags regnet es oft ein bisschen.
  • mittags – as in Mittags scheint meistens die Sonne.
  • nachmittags – as in Nachmittags ist es noch immer warm.
  • abends – as in Abends wird es kalt.
  • nachts – as in Nachts bleibt es kalt.

How These Adverbs Are Used

These adverbs stand alone to indicate general time periods, such as mornings or evenings. For example, Wir laufen morgens im Park means "We walk in the park in the mornings." When you want to specify the exact time of day, you might add a precise time, like um 8 Uhr morgens (at 8 o'clock in the morning), combining the adverb with specific details.

Important Notes on Usage

German time-of-day adverbs are commonly used without additional articles, which differs from some English time expressions. They are typically placed at the beginning or near the beginning of a sentence to set the time frame.

Useful Phrases and Their English Equivalents

  • morgens – mornings
  • vormittags – late mornings / before noon
  • mittags – noon / midday
  • nachmittags – afternoons
  • abends – evenings
  • nachts – nights

Differences Between English and German Time Expressions

Unlike English, German often uses these adverbs without additional prepositions or articles. For example, where English says "in the morning," German simply uses morgens. This compact form makes German expressions concise but can be subtle for learners to grasp. Also, German adverbs like vormittags specify parts of the morning more precisely than the simple English "morning."

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Sophie Schmidt

International Administration Management

Würzburger Dolmetscherschule

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 17/07/2025 13:30