UHRZEIT
UHRZEIT
OBJECTIVE
SUMMARY
In this session, we are going to focus on how to tell time in German. We would also focus on the
various aspects involved in telling time in German. After learning these aspects, we would focus on
how to tell time in different contexts and the various phrases and expressions associated with it.
Also, with the help of examples and exercises these aspects would be discussed in an elaborate
manner.
TEXT
In German, time is called either as ‘Uhrzeit’ or ‘Zeit’. Both these nouns carry the feminine article
‘die’. The noun ‘Uhrzeit’ is a composite noun, i.e. it is a combination of two nouns: ‘die Uhr’ and ‘die
Zeit’. The noun ‘die Uhr’ means a clock or a watch and ‘die Zeit’ means time.
It is important to remember following aspects which are associated with telling time in German:
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8. In German, the 24 hour clock format is used. This is used to tell the official and unofficial time.
Official time is used in time tables for public transport, official meetings etc. Unofficial time is
used in informal contexts.
In German, following two expressions are used to ask time and tell time.
As you can see, both the questions to ask time are W – Questions with the verb ‘ist’ at the second
place. The answer for these questions begins with ‘es ist’. One can also answer these questions
without using ‘es ist’.
Now, let us look at some examples to understand how to tell time with the above given expressions:
Wie spät ist es? / Wie viel Uhr ist es? – Es ist 3:30
The above given time can be either expressed as ‘halb vier’ or ‘drei Uhr dreiβig’. This time is
expressed in informal contexts.
Wie spät ist es? / Wie viel Uhr ist es? – Es ist15:30
The above given time is expressed in official context. It means 3:30 pm.
In the above given sentences, on the left side two forms of similar questions are given, which are
normally used to ask about any activity related to time. Both the questions are W-Questions and
they always have an answer which involves the preposition ‘um’ followed by the specific time. On
the right side, the answers to the two questions are provided. As we know that in German, keeping
the verb at the second position, we can change the position of the other elements of the sentence,
both the answers convey the same message. It is important to remember that whenever a question
with these W-Questions is asked, the answer consists of ‘um’ and the time element.
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CASE STUDY – This lesson does not require any case study.
FAQs
ASSIGNMENT
1. Please revise the contents of the video and try to tell time from various examples in your
vicinity.
2. With the help of verbs, please write few sentences with W-Questions related to time.
3. With the help of various tutorials and links, please make short dialogues related to time.
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4. Es ist fünf nach halb sechs.
a) 5:35
b) 5:25
c) 6:35
d) 6:30
7. Wann fährt der Bus ab? Der Bus fährt um zehn vor sieben ab.
a) 6:55
b) 6:50
c) 7:10
d) 10:07
TUTORIALS
http://www.dummies.com/languages/german/basic-german-telling-time/
https://german.tolearnfree.com/free-german-lessons/free-german-exercise-17376.php
https://www.dw.com/downloads/26607581/lektion-8pdf.pdf
https://www.dw.com/overlay/media/en/audiotrainer-lektion-8-the-time-
uhrzeiten/4931562/4289537
https://www.dw.com/overlay/media/de/deutschtrainer-17-uhrzeit/19455778/19518570
https://www.dw.com/overlay/media/de/deutschtrainer-17-uhrzeit/42752556/19518570
https://www.dw.com/overlay/media/en/deutschtrainer-17-telling-time/35921855/19518570
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LINKS
https://www.dw.com/downloads/36344314/uhrzeitenen.pdf
https://learngerman.dw.com/en/stating-the-time-um-von-bis/gr-38303646
https://learngerman.dw.com/en/time-12-hour-clock-1/gr-38303328
https://learngerman.dw.com/en/time-specification-12-hour-clock-2/gr-38303812
https://learngerman.dw.com/en/time-specification-wie-lange/gr-38302765
https://learngerman.dw.com/en/time-specification-24-hour-clock/gr-38303201
https://learngerman.dw.com/en/time-specification-wann/gr-38302317
REFERENCES
Funk, H. Studio d. A1, Cornelsen, Berlin / Goyal Saab, Delhi
GLOSSARY
beginnen – to begin
abfahren – to depart
öffnen – to open
enden – to end