German Prepositions of Time: In, On, At, and the Difference Between in and im
Learn to use German in, on, and at for times, days, and dates. Understand the contraction im and avoid common mistakes with an and am.
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In German, time expressions often use different prepositions than English. The most common are um for clock times, am for days and dates, and im for months, seasons, and years. The preposition in appears mainly in phrases like in der Nacht or in einer Woche. A frequent question is the difference between in and im: im is simply a contraction of in + dem, used when the following noun is masculine or neuter and in the dative case. This lesson gives you the direct answer first, then concrete patterns and examples so you can talk about when things happen.
By the end, you can…
- use um, am, and im correctly to talk about times, days, and months.
- explain when to use in versus im and avoid common errors.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
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um sieben Uhr
at seven o'clock
oom ZEE-bən OO-ər
Use um for exact clock times. The verb usually comes second: Ich stehe um sieben Uhr auf.
am Montag
on Monday
ahm MOHN-tahk
Use am for days of the week and dates. Am is a contraction of an + dem. Example: Am Montag habe ich frei.
im Juli
in July
im YOO-lee
Use im for months and seasons. Im is a contraction of in + dem. Example: Im Juli fahren wir nach Berlin.
in der Nacht
at night
in dair nahkht
Use in with der for feminine nouns like Nacht. This is not contracted. Example: Ich arbeite oft in der Nacht.
in einer Woche
in a week (from now)
in EYE-nər VOKH-ə
Use in + einer for future time spans. Example: Der Kurs beginnt in einer Woche.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
German time prepositions follow a clear pattern: um for clock times, am for days and dates, im for months, seasons, and years. For example: um 8 Uhr, am Dienstag, im Winter, im Jahr 2025. The preposition in appears in phrases like in der Nacht, in einer Stunde, or in der Zukunft. The contraction im is used when in is followed by dem and the noun is masculine or neuter in the dative. So in dem Juli becomes im Juli, and in dem Winter becomes im Winter. For feminine nouns, dem is not used; instead you say in der, as in in der Nacht. This is why you never say im Nacht.
When to use it
Use um when you name a specific time on the clock: Der Film beginnt um 20 Uhr. Use am for days and dates: Am Freitag habe ich einen Termin. Use im for months, seasons, and years: Im Mai ist es warm. Im Sommer reisen wir. Im Jahr 2024. Use in with der for feminine time nouns: in der Nacht, in der Früh (Southern German/Austrian), in der Vergangenheit. Use in with einer for a future point: in einer Woche, in einem Monat. Note that im is not a separate preposition; it is a contraction. If you need to emphasize the noun, you can say in dem instead of im, but this is rare in everyday speech. For place prepositions, the same contraction applies: im Kino (in dem Kino), im Haus. The difference between time and place is not the preposition itself but the context and the noun's gender.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Wann beginnt der Deutschkurs?
When does the German course start?van buh-GINT dair DOYTCH-koorsDer Kurs beginnt am Montag um neun Uhr.
The course starts on Monday at nine o'clock.dair koors buh-GINT ahm MOHN-tahk oom noyn OO-ərUnd wie lange dauert der Kurs?
And how long does the course last?oont vee LAHNG-ə DOW-ərt dair koorsEr dauert bis Dezember, also ungefähr drei Monate.
It lasts until December, so about three months.air DOW-ərt bis deh-TSEM-bər, AHL-zoh OON-gə-fair dry MOH-nah-təA little context goes a long way
In German, time expressions are often more precise than in English. For example, um is used for exact times, while am and im are used for days and months. In Southern Germany and Austria, you may hear in der Früh instead of am Morgen. In formal writing, im is standard, but in very formal contexts, in dem may be used for emphasis. When asking staff about schedules, use Wann beginnt...? or Um wie viel Uhr...? These are polite and clear.
One thing to watch for
Using im for days, as in im Montag.
Try this instead: Use am for days: am Montag. Im is only for months, seasons, and years, or for neuter/masculine nouns in the dative. For example, im Juli, im Winter, im Kino. For days, always use am.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'on Tuesday' in German?
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am Dienstag
Days of the week use am. Am is a contraction of an + dem. So am Dienstag is correct. Im Dienstag would be wrong because im is for months or seasons.
2Fill in the blank: Ich habe ___ 15 Uhr einen Termin. (at)
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um
Clock times use um. So um 15 Uhr. Am would be for days, im for months.
3What is the difference between in and im?
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Im is a contraction of in + dem, used for masculine or neuter nouns in the dative. In is the full preposition, used with feminine nouns (in der) or without contraction (in einer).
For example, im Juli (in dem Juli) vs. in der Nacht. Both are correct depending on the noun's gender and case.
Remember: um for clock times, am for days and dates, im for months and seasons. Use in der for feminine time nouns. Im is just in + dem, so never use it with feminine nouns.
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