Wie spät ist es?
What time is it?
German A1 · Lesson 9/30 · Free
Hours and times
In this lesson you will learn to ask and tell the time.
Lektion 901 · First, listen
Dialogue in context
Listen to the complete conversation and follow the translation.
AnnaWie spät ist es?What time is it?
02 · Essential phrases
Listen and repeat
Learn each expression as a complete block.
Es ist halb neun.
It's half past eight.
Wann fährt der Zug?
When does the train leave?
Um neun Uhr zehn.
At ten past nine.
Haben wir noch Zeit?
Do we still have time?
Ja, zehn Minuten.
Yes, ten minutes.
halb:
The complete situation
Wie viel Uhr ist es?
Wie spät ist es? is the most common way to ask the time: literally 'how late is it?'. An alternative is Wie viel Uhr ist es?. Both work in everyday life.
03 · Understand the logic
Explanation
Keep the German visible while you listen to the explanation.
Explanation 1
Wie spät ist es?
Wie spät ist es? is the most common way to ask the time: literally 'how late is it?'. An alternative is Wie viel Uhr ist es?. Both work in everyday life.
Explanation 2
das
hours in German: means half past eight, not half past nine. German counts the half hour until nine, i.e., halfway to nine. Always think one hour ahead.
Explanation 3
wie viel Uhr?
A wie viel Uhr? asks at what time something happens. The um is the preposition for time, and the answer also comes with um: um drei Uhr. Do not confuse it with the um of numbers.
Explanation 4
Sprechen Sie nach
Now practice pronunciation: listen and repeat each sentence out loud.
04 · Review
Test what you learned
Choose the correct translation and check your answer instantly.