Using "Uhr" to tell time in German: A quick guide

[prashant1104]

When you’re learning how to tell time in German, one of the key components to understand is the use of the word “Uhr”. “Uhr” is the German word for clock, and it is used after the hour to indicate the time. For example, “Es ist acht Uhr” means "It’s 8 o’clock."

However, when it comes to minutes, “Uhr” is only used for the hour, not for individual minutes. So, when expressing time in minutes, simply state the hour followed by the minutes. For example:

• “Es ist fünf Uhr fünfzehn” (It’s 5:15).
• “Es ist drei Uhr dreißig” (It’s 3:30).

In German, there’s also a common pattern of saying times that fall at regular intervals like “Viertel nach” (quarter past), “halb” (half-past), and “Viertel vor” (quarter to). For example:

• “Es ist Viertel nach sieben” (It’s 7:15).
• “Es ist halb neun” (It’s 8:30).
• “Es ist Viertel vor fünf” (It’s 4:45).

Knowing how to use “Uhr” properly will ensure that you’re saying the time accurately and naturally in German.