German · A1 · Everyday language
Plan Your Evening in German
Use simple German phrases to plan your child's evening, with time for activities, friends, dinner, reading, and sleep.
What you'll learn
- Ask and say what time it is.
- Use um to say when an activity happens.
- Understand full hours, half past, quarter past, and quarter to.
German phrases for plan your evening
Wie spät ist es?
What time is it?
A common way to ask the time.
Es ist drei Uhr.
It is three o'clock.
Use Es ist + number + Uhr for a full hour.
Das Training beginnt um vier Uhr.
Practice starts at four o'clock.
Das Training means sports practice. Um means 'at' when giving a time.
Dein Freund kommt um halb fünf.
Your friend comes at half past four.
Halb fünf means 4:30, halfway to five. For a female friend, say Deine Freundin.
Das Abendessen gibt es um sechs Uhr.
Dinner is at six o'clock.
Das Abendessen gibt es … is a natural way to say when dinner is served.
Die Spielzeit endet um Viertel nach sieben.
Game time ends at quarter past seven.
Viertel nach sieben means 7:15.
Wir lesen um Viertel vor acht.
We read at quarter to eight.
Viertel vor acht means 7:45.
Um neun Uhr ist Schlafenszeit.
Bedtime is at nine o'clock.
Schlafenszeit means 'bedtime.' Putting the time first highlights when it is time for bed.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
die Uhr
clock; o'clock
After an hour number, Uhr means 'o'clock': sechs Uhr.
um
at
Use before a specific time: um vier Uhr.
halb
half
For telling time, name the next hour: halb fünf = 4:30.
das Viertel
quarter
In time expressions, this means fifteen minutes.
nach
past; after
Viertel nach sieben is fifteen minutes after seven.
vor
to; before
Viertel vor acht is fifteen minutes before eight.
das Abendessen
dinner; evening meal
A noun for the meal you eat in the evening.
die Schlafenszeit
bedtime
Use ist Schlafenszeit to say it is bedtime.
Saying the time and scheduling activities
Use Es ist to tell the current time. Use um before a time to say when something happens. Uhr follows the number for a full hour.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ask the time | Wie spät ist es? | Wie spät ist es? — What time is it? |
| Say the current time | Es ist + number + Uhr. | Es ist drei Uhr. — It is three o'clock. |
| Say when an activity happens | um + time | Wir lesen um acht Uhr. — We read at eight o'clock. |
Half hours and quarter hours
German half-hour expressions name the upcoming hour, not the hour just passed. Use nach for 'past' and vor for 'to.' Do not add Uhr to these expressions.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Half past four: 4:30 | halb + next hour | halb fünf — half past four |
| Quarter past seven: 7:15 | Viertel nach + hour | Viertel nach sieben — quarter past seven |
| Quarter to eight: 7:45 | Viertel vor + next hour | Viertel vor acht — quarter to eight |
Understanding afternoon and evening times
In everyday conversation, the situation often makes morning or evening clear. Written schedules commonly use the 24-hour clock.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoon | 16:30 = halb fünf | Dein Freund kommt um halb fünf. — Your friend comes at 4:30 p.m. |
| Evening | 21:00 = neun Uhr | Um neun Uhr ist Schlafenszeit. — Bedtime is at 9 p.m. |
More examples
Es ist halb sechs.
It is half past five.
Halb sechs means 5:30, not 6:30.
Das Training beginnt um Viertel nach vier.
Practice starts at quarter past four.
Use um before the whole time expression.
Wir lesen um Viertel vor neun.
We read at quarter to nine.
Viertel vor neun means 8:45.