Telling the Time in German: At, From, and Until for Simple Schedules
Learn to say clock times in German and use um, von ... bis, and bis to talk about when classes, work, and appointments start and end.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In this lesson you will learn to say what time it is and to talk about simple schedules in German. The key words are um (at), von ... bis (from ... to/until), and bis (until). German uses a 24-hour clock in timetables and often in speech, so 9:00 can be neun Uhr or einundzwanzig Uhr depending on context. You will practise full sentences such as Der Kurs beginnt um neun Uhr. and Ich arbeite von neun bis fünf Uhr. Pay attention to word order: the time expression can come first, but then the verb must come second.
By the end, you can…
- ask and answer what time it is in German.
- say when something starts using um.
- say how long something lasts using von ... bis.
- say that something lasts until a certain time using bis.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Wie viel Uhr ist es?
What time is it?
vee feel oo-er ist es
Standard question. In southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland you may also hear Wie spät ist es? Both are correct.
Es ist neun Uhr.
It is nine o'clock.
es ist noyn oo-er
Use Uhr after the number for full hours. For 9 p.m. in a schedule, German often says einundzwanzig Uhr (21:00).
Der Kurs beginnt um neun Uhr.
The class starts at nine o'clock.
dair koors buh-GINT oom noyn oo-er
um introduces a clock time. The verb beginnt is in second position; if you start with Um neun Uhr, the verb still comes second: Um neun Uhr beginnt der Kurs.
Ich arbeite von neun bis fünf Uhr.
I work from nine until five o'clock.
ikh AR-by-tuh fon noyn bis fewnf oo-er
von ... bis means from ... until. You can repeat Uhr after bis or leave it out in casual speech.
Der Laden ist bis acht Uhr geöffnet.
The shop is open until eight o'clock.
dair LAH-den ist bis akht oo-er guh-URF-net
bis alone means until. This is useful for opening hours and deadlines.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Use um + clock time for a point in time: Der Film beginnt um zwanzig Uhr. (The film starts at 8 p.m.) Use von + time + bis + time for a span: Ich habe Unterricht von zehn bis zwölf Uhr. (I have class from ten until twelve.) Use bis + time for an end point: Ich schlafe bis sieben Uhr. (I sleep until seven.) Remember German word order: if the time phrase comes first, the verb comes second: Um neun Uhr beginnt der Kurs. The subject then follows the verb.
When to use it
Use um when you name one exact clock time, especially for starts and appointments: Der Zug fährt um sieben Uhr ab. Use von ... bis when you describe a block of time, such as work hours or a lesson: Die Sprechstunde ist von vierzehn bis sechzehn Uhr. Use bis when only the end matters: Ich warte bis halb neun. In everyday speech, Germans often use the 12-hour clock with context, but timetables, official announcements, and much of Austria and Switzerland use the 24-hour clock. For half hours, German says halb neun for 8:30, literally 'half to nine', not 9:30.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Entschuldigung, wie viel Uhr ist es?
Excuse me, what time is it?ent-SHOOL-dee-goong, vee feel oo-er ist esEs ist Viertel vor neun. Der Kurs beginnt um neun Uhr.
It is a quarter to nine. The class starts at nine o'clock.es ist FEER-tel for noyn. dair koors buh-GINT oom noyn oo-erDanke. Und wie lange dauert der Kurs?
Thanks. And how long does the class last?DAN-kuh. oont vee LANG-uh DOW-ert dair koorsEr dauert von neun bis elf Uhr.
It lasts from nine until eleven o'clock.air DOW-ert fon noyn bis elf oo-erA little context goes a long way
In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, the 24-hour clock is standard for timetables, shops, and official schedules: Der Laden ist bis zwanzig Uhr geöffnet. In casual conversation, many speakers use the 12-hour clock with context, and southern regions often prefer Wie spät ist es? rather than Wie viel Uhr ist es? Both are understood everywhere.
One thing to watch for
Using um for a duration, as in Ich arbeite um neun bis fünf Uhr.
Try this instead: Use von ... bis for a span of time: Ich arbeite von neun bis fünf Uhr. Use um only for a single point in time: Ich beginne um neun Uhr.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'The class starts at nine o'clock' in German?
Show a sample answer
Der Kurs beginnt um neun Uhr.
um introduces the clock time. You can also say Um neun Uhr beginnt der Kurs; the verb beginnt must stay in second position.
2How do you say 'I work from eight until four'?
Show a sample answer
Ich arbeite von acht bis vier Uhr.
von ... bis expresses the span. Uhr after vier is optional in casual speech but common in clear beginner sentences.
3What does halb neun mean?
Show a sample answer
8:30, half past eight.
German halb counts toward the next hour, so halb neun is halfway to nine. This differs from English 'half nine', which can mean 9:30 in some varieties.
Use um for one clock time, von ... bis for a span, and bis for an end point. Keep the verb in second position when a time phrase starts the sentence.
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