In this post you’ll learn how to speak about dates, time, days and numbers.
Numbers
1 – eins
2 – zwei
3 – drei
4 – vier
5 – fünf
6 – sechs
7 – sieben
8 – acht
9 – neun
10 – zehn
11 – elf
12 – zwölf
13 – dreizehn
14 – vierzehn
15 – fünfzehn
16 – sechszehn
17 – siebzehn
18 – achtzehn
19 – neunzehn
20 – zwanzig
Numbers like 40,50,60… are made using numbers 2-10 + zig
Example: vier+zig = vierzig(40), sechs+zig=sechszig(60)
Numbers like 21,45,76… are made using the numbers 1-10 and the decimal form with “und” tying them
Example: ein+und+zwanzig = einundzwanzig(21), fünf+und+vierzig = fünfundvierzig(45)
Date
When giving a date in German, you state the number as an ordinal, just like English. The numbers from 0 to 19 end in –te to form ordinals like zehnte (10th). Note that there are three irregular formations: erste (1st), dritte (3rd), and siebte (7th). The numbers from 20 and higher end in –ste, like zwanzigste (20th).
You can use the following phrases when discussing dates in German.
- der dritte Juni (3rd June)
- der zweiundzwanzigste Juli (22rd July)
- der erste Oktober (1st October)
- Welchen Tag haben wir heute? (What day is today?)
- Heute ist Sonntag. (Today is Sunday.)
- Der Wievielte ist heute? (What’s today’s date?)
- Heute ist der zweiundzwanzigste März. (Today is the twenty-second of March)
Time
The time of day can be described in general terms or specific times. You can use the following words to describe the general time of day.
der Nachmittag (afternoon)
der Morgen (morning)
die Mitternacht (midnight)
der Abend (evening)
der Tag (day)
gestern (yesterday)
der Mittag (noon)
die Nacht (night)
morgen (tomorrow)
heute (today)
When you want to know a specific time of day, you can ask Wie viel Uhr ist es? (What time is it?). There is no a.m. or p.m. in German. They use a 24-hour clock, so, 3 p.m. would be fünfzehn Uhr (15 o’clock ). To express time between the hours, use the following terms to break things down.
halb (half)
die Zeit (time)
Viertel (quarter)
die Minute(n) (minute)
die Sekunde(n) (second)
die Stunde(n) (hour)
Nach (after)
Vor (before)
Days
der Wochentag, -e → the day of the week
der Sonntag → Sunday
der Montag → Monday
der Dienstag → Tuesday
der Mittwoch → Wednesday
der Donnerstag → Thursday
der Freitag → Friday
der Samstag/Sonnabend → Saturday
das Wochenende → weekend
am Wochenende → at the weekend
Times of Day
der Tag → day
der Morgen → tommorow
der Vormittag,-e → morning
der Mittag → noon
der Nachmittag,-e → afternoon
der Abend,-e → evening
die Nacht,¨-e → night
Months
der Januar → January
der Februar → February
der März → March
der April → April
der Mai → May
der Juni → June
der Juli → July
der August → August
der September → September
der Oktober → October
der November → November
der Dezember → December
Do you want to get your German language learning planner?
Dive into a World of German Mastery with Leo. Over 7500 enthusiasts are already unlocking the secrets to fluency with our tailored strategies, tips, and now, the German language learning planner. Secure yours today and transform your language journey with me!
