Telling the time and reading the clock

Introduction to Telling the Time in German

This lesson focuses on expressing and understanding time in everyday German. It covers how to ask for, tell, and arrange times, which is essential for daily communication, appointments, and schedules.

Lesson Content Overview

Basic Time Expressions

You will learn key time-related vocabulary such as die Minute (minute), die Stunde (hour), die Sekunde (second), and how to express specific times like drei Uhr zehn (three ten) or viertel nach drei (quarter past three).

Reading the Clock

The lesson explains how to read the clock in German, including common phrases like Es ist Viertel nach drei (It is quarter past three), Es ist halb sieben (It is half past six), and Es ist fünf vor acht (It is five to eight).

Practical Dialogues

Practice everyday situations where telling time is necessary, such as:

• At the train station: Asking about departure and arrival times.
• At the office: Scheduling meetings and confirming times.
• In a café: Asking the time and responding politely.

Verb Usage

The lesson emphasizes verbs important for discussing time, including ankommen (to arrive), wissen (to know), and beginnen (to begin). Understanding these will help you form accurate sentences related to timing and schedules.

Useful Tips and Phrases

• Wie viel Uhr ist es jetzt? – "What time is it now?"
• Der Zug kommt um acht Uhr fünf an. – "The train arrives at 8:05."
• Es ist halb sieben. – "It is half past six." Note that in German, "halb sieben" means 6:30, not 7:30.
• Wir müssen die Uhr lesen. – "We have to read the clock."

Differences Between English and German Time Expressions

One important difference lies in how half hours are expressed. In German, "halb sieben" literally means "half seven," but it refers to 6:30 — that is, half an hour before seven. In English, "half past six" is used instead. Also, Germans use quarter expressions such as viertel nach drei (quarter past three) and viertel vor zehn (quarter to ten), which directly correspond to English equivalents.

Questions like "Wie spät ist es?" or "Wie viel Uhr ist es?" are commonly used for asking the time. When discussing arrivals or meetings, the verb ankommen (to arrive) with separable prefix usage (e.g., "kommt an") is important to master.

Summary

This lesson provides the foundation for confidently discussing and understanding times in German. Learning these phrases and grammar structures prepares you for real-life situations such as traveling, scheduling, and everyday conversations.