The half-hour trap
Halb drei is 2:30
German counts the half hour towards the next hour: halb drei is “half (on the way to) three”. Read the strip from 2:00 to 3:00 and tap any time.
Time prepositions
Um, am, im, seit, vor
Each kind of time has its own small word. Learn them as a set: the time on the clock, the day, the longer period, and how long ago or since.
um
clock timesdair KURS be-GINT um NOIN OOR · “The course starts at nine.”
Der Kursthe coursebeginntbeginsumatneun Uhr.nine o’clock
am
days, dates, parts of the dayveer TRE-fen uns am FRAI-taak · “We’re meeting on Friday.”
Wirwetreffen unsmeetamon-theFreitag.Friday
im
months, seasonsim au-GUST ist es HAIS · “In August it’s hot.”
Imin-theAugustAugustistises heiß.it hot
seit
since, for (still going)ikh LER-ne zait TSVAI YAA-ren DOITSH · “I’ve been learning German for two years.”
IchIlernelearnseitsincezwei Jahrentwo yearsDeutsch.German
vor
agoikh vaar for AI-ner VO-khe in VEEN · “I was in Vienna a week ago.”
IchIwarwasvoragoeiner Wochea weekin Wien.in Vienna
von … bis
from … tofon NOIN bis FÜNF · “From nine to five.”
Vonfromneunninebisuntilfünf.five
Days and parts of the day
Der Montag bis der Sonntag
All days are masculine. Am Montag means “on Monday” (this one); montags, with a small letter and -s, means “on Mondays” (every week). The same works for parts of the day: morgens, abends.
Dates
Am ersten Mai, der dritte Oktober
Dates use ordinal numbers (first, second…), which add -te up to 19 and -ste from 20, plus an adjective ending. Written, a full stop marks the ordinal: der 3. Oktober.
1. Maiam ER-sten MAI ist FRAI · “The first of May is a holiday.”Ersten: ordinal erst- + dative ending -en after am.
Amon-theerstenfirstMaiMayistisfrei.free
3. Oktoberdair DRI-te ok-TOH-ber ist ain FAI-er-taak · “The third of October is a public holiday.”Dritte: an irregular ordinal. 3 October is German Unity Day.
DerthedrittethirdOktoberOctoberistisein Feiertag.a holiday
24.12.HAI-likh-aa-bent ist am FEER-unt-tsvan-tsikh-sten · “Christmas Eve is on the 24th.”From 20 the ordinal ending is -ste: zwanzigste.
HeiligabendChristmas-Eveistisamon-thevierundzwanzigsten.twenty-fourth
Welches Datum?dair vee-FEEL-te ist HOI-te · “What’s the date today?”The everyday question; the answer is: Heute ist der …
DertheWievieltehow-manythistisheute?today
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