Telling the time in German: Wie spät ist es?
Official 24-hour time vs the everyday spoken way, plus the half-an-hour trap (halb drei means 2:30). A clear guide to saying clock time in German.
There are two ways to tell the time in German: the formal 24-hour clock (timetables, announcements) and the casual spoken style (everyday conversation). You need both, and the spoken one has a trap worth flagging immediately.
The formal 24-hour clock
Say the hour, then Uhr, then the minutes: 14:30 = vierzehn Uhr dreißig. This is unambiguous and used for schedules, TV listings and official contexts. To ask the time: Wie spät ist es? or Wie viel Uhr ist es?
The everyday spoken way
- Quarter past: Viertel nach drei = 3:15.
- Quarter to: Viertel vor vier = 3:45.
- Half: halb vier means 3:30 — half TO four, not half past! This is the classic mistake.
- Minutes: zehn nach drei (3:10), fünf vor halb vier (3:25).
The halb trap
In German, halb counts toward the coming hour. halb drei is 2:30 (halfway to three), not 3:30. If you think of it as half of the next hour already gone, the logic clicks. Get this one right and you avoid showing up an hour off.
When in doubt, fall back on the 24-hour form (zwei Uhr dreißig) — it is always understood and never ambiguous. Save the spoken style for when it feels natural.
Frequently asked questions
What does halb drei mean in German?
halb drei means 2:30, not 3:30. German halb points to the upcoming hour, so it is half-way toward three. halb vier is 3:30, and so on.
How do I ask what time it is in German?
Use Wie spät ist es? or Wie viel Uhr ist es? To say a time formally, give the hour + Uhr + minutes: 9:15 = neun Uhr fünfzehn.