German Time Prepositions: Using in, an, and um for Times, Days, and Dates
Learn how German uses um, an, and in for clock times, days, and months or years, and see why these time prepositions differ from place prepositions.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
German does not use one word for English 'at', 'on', and 'in' when talking about time. Instead, German splits the job: um for clock times, an for days and dates, and in for months, seasons, and years. This lesson teaches those three time prepositions with beginner-level examples. The focus is only on time expressions, not place, so you can build correct phrases like um sieben Uhr, am Montag, and im Juli from the start.
By the end, you can…
- say what time something happens using um with clock times.
- say which day or date something happens using an with days and dates.
- say which month, season, or year something happens using in with months, seasons, and years.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
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um sieben Uhr
at seven o'clock
oom ZEE-bm oo-uh
Use um with clock times. Uhr means 'o'clock' and is optional in casual speech.
am Montag
on Monday
ahm MON-tahk
Use an with days of the week. am is a contraction of an + dem.
im Juli
in July
im YOO-lee
Use in with months. im is a contraction of in + dem.
am ersten Mai
on the first of May
ahm AIR-stn my
Use an with dates. The ordinal number takes -en after am.
um Viertel nach acht
at a quarter past eight
oom FEER-tl nahkh akht
Use um with clock times that include minutes. nach means 'past'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
German time phrases often use a contraction: an + dem becomes am, and in + dem becomes im. So 'on Monday' is am Montag, and 'in July' is im Juli. For clock times, use um: um acht Uhr ('at eight o'clock'). For dates, use am plus an ordinal: am dritten Oktober ('on the third of October'). The pattern is: um + clock time, am + day or date, im + month, season, or year.
When to use it
Choose the preposition by the kind of time expression. Use um for a point in time: um sechs Uhr, um halb neun. Use am for a named day or date: am Dienstag, am 5. Juni. Use im for a month, season, or year: im Januar, im Sommer, im Jahr 2025. Do not use um with days or months. If you mean 'next Monday' without a preposition, German often uses no preposition at all: Montag habe ich Zeit.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Wann beginnt der Kurs?
When does the course begin?van buh-GINT dair koorsDer Kurs beginnt am Montag um neun Uhr.
The course begins on Monday at nine o'clock.dair koors buh-GINT ahm MON-tahk oom noyn oo-uhUnd wann ist die Prüfung?
And when is the exam?oont van ist dee PRUE-foongDie Prüfung ist am dritten Juli.
The exam is on the third of July.dee PRUE-foong ist ahm DRIT-tn YOO-leeA little context goes a long way
In everyday German, the 24-hour clock is common for schedules and appointments, so 19 Uhr is normal for 7 p.m. Regional variants exist for quarter hours: in most of Germany, viertel nach sieben means 7:15 and viertel vor acht means 7:45, while in parts of southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, viertel acht can mean 7:15. Because usage varies by region, context matters.
One thing to watch for
Using in with days or months in the same way as English: in Montag or in Juli.
Try this instead: German uses am for days and dates, and im for months, seasons, and years. Say am Montag ('on Monday') and im Juli ('in July'). Use um only for clock times: um sieben Uhr.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'at eight o'clock' in German?
Show a sample answer
um acht Uhr
Clock times use um. Uhr is optional in casual speech, so um acht is also correct.
2How do you say 'on Friday' in German?
Show a sample answer
am Freitag
Days of the week use an, contracted with dem to am. am Freitag is the standard form.
3How do you say 'in September' in German?
Show a sample answer
im September
Months use in, contracted with dem to im. im September is correct; am September would be wrong.
For German time expressions, remember the three-way split: um for clock times, am for days and dates, and im for months, seasons, and years.
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