🎯 Today's Learning Goals / Lernziele
- Name all seven days of the week in German and know their abbreviations
- Say all twelve months and four seasons with correct articles and prepositions (am, im)
- Form ordinal numbers for dates and state any date in day.month.year format
- Tell the time using both informal (halb, Viertel, vor, nach) and official 24-hour formats
- Avoid the halb trap: understand that halb drei means 2:30, not 3:30
- Make and confirm an appointment using days, dates, and clock times
📚 Grammar & Rules / Grammatik
1. Die Wochentage (Days of the Week)
All seven days are masculine (der) and all except Mittwoch end in -tag.
The German week starts on Monday, which is why Wednesday is called Mittwoch (literally 'mid-week'). Saturday has two names: Samstag (south and west Germany) and Sonnabend (north and east Germany). Both are correct everywhere, but Samstag is more common overall. To say 'on' a day, use the preposition 'am': am Montag = on Monday. For habitual actions ('every Monday'), use lowercase with an -s ending: montags.
Am Montag habe ich einen Termin.
— On Monday I have an appointment.
💡 'am' = on (for days)
Montags gehe ich schwimmen.
— On Mondays I go swimming.
💡 Lowercase + -s = every
Am Wochenende bin ich frei.
— At the weekend I am free.
💡 'am' also for Wochenende
Mittwoch ist die Mitte der Woche.
— Wednesday is the middle of the week.
💡 Mittwoch = mid-week
⚠️ Common Mistake: Do not confuse Samstag (Saturday) with Sonntag (Sunday). Samstag starts with 'Sam', Sonntag starts with 'Sonn' (sun).
💡 Study Tip: Memory trick: Mittwoch is the odd one out - it does not end in -tag because it literally means 'mid-week'. All the others follow the pattern: Montag, Dienstag, Donnerstag, Freitag, Samstag, Sonntag.
2. Die Monate und Jahreszeiten (Months & Seasons)
All twelve months and all four seasons are masculine (der). Use 'im' to say 'in' a month or season.
German months are very similar to English because both languages borrowed them from Latin. Use 'im' (= in dem) for months and seasons: im Januar, im Sommer. In Austria, January is often called Jänner and February is Feber. On the phone, Germans sometimes say Juno and Julei to distinguish June from July, just as they say zwo for zwei.
| HEADER | PATTERN | EXAMPLE |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | der Frühling | März, April, Mai |
| Summer | der Sommer | Juni, Juli, August |
| Autumn | der Herbst | September, Oktober, November |
| Winter | der Winter | Dezember, Januar, Februar |
Im Januar ist es kalt.
— In January it is cold.
💡 'im' = in (for months)
Im Sommer fahre ich nach Italien.
— In summer I travel to Italy.
💡 'im' = in (for seasons)
Mein Geburtstag ist im Mai.
— My birthday is in May.
⚠️ Common Mistake: Do not use 'in' alone - always use 'im' (the contraction of 'in dem') with months and seasons. Say 'im März', never 'in März'.
💡 Study Tip: The months are almost identical to English: Januar, Februar, März, April, Mai, Juni, Juli, August, September, Oktober, November, Dezember. Only the spelling changes slightly.
3. Das Datum (Dates & Ordinal Numbers)
Dates use ordinal numbers written with a dot after the numeral: der 3. Mai = der dritte Mai.
To form ordinals: for 1-19, add -te to the number (vierte, fünfte, zehnte). For 20 and above, add -ste (zwanzigste, dreißigste). Four ordinals are irregular and must be memorised: erste (1st), dritte (3rd), siebte (7th), achte (8th). German writes dates in day.month.year order: 12.04.1998 means 12 April, not 4 December. When saying 'on' a date, use 'am' and the ordinal gets an -en ending: am dritten Mai.
| HEADER | PATTERN | EXAMPLE |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | erste (irregular) | der erste Januar |
| 3rd | dritte (irregular) | der dritte Mai |
| 7th | siebte (irregular) | der siebte März |
| 8th | achte (irregular) | der achte Oktober |
Heute ist der fünfte September.
— Today is the 5th of September.
💡 Statement: -te ending
Ich habe am dritten Mai Geburtstag.
— My birthday is on the 3rd of May.
💡 'am' = on: -ten ending
Der Wievielte ist heute?
— What is the date today?
💡 The standard question for dates
Wann bist du geboren? - Am 12.4.1998.
— When were you born? - On 12 April 1998.
⚠️ Common Mistake: German date format is day.month.year (05.11.2025 = 5 November), NOT month.day.year as in the US. This causes real-world confusion with forms, tickets, and appointments.
💡 Study Tip: The dot after the number IS the ordinal marker. When you see '3.' in German, read it as 'dritte' (third). No dot = cardinal number, dot = ordinal.
4. Die Uhrzeit - Informal (12-Hour Clock)
German halb counts FORWARD to the next hour. Halb drei = 2:30, NOT 3:30.
Informal time uses nach (after) for minutes past the hour and vor (before) for minutes to the hour. Viertel nach = quarter past, Viertel vor = quarter to. The critical trap is halb: German measures how far along you are TOWARD the next hour. Think 'halfway TO three' for halb drei (2:30). The system also uses fünf vor halb (25 past) and fünf nach halb (35 past) which reference the half-hour mark.
Es ist fünf nach zwei.
— It is 2:05 (five after two).
💡 'nach' = after
Es ist Viertel nach zwei.
— It is 2:15 (quarter after two).
💡 'Viertel nach' = quarter past
Es ist halb drei.
— It is 2:30 (half three = halfway TO three).
💡 The halb trap!
Es ist Viertel vor drei.
— It is 2:45 (quarter before three).
💡 'vor' = before
Es ist fünf vor halb drei.
— It is 2:25 (five before half-three).
💡 References halb
⚠️ Common Mistake: If a colleague says 'Treffen wir uns um halb acht' and you arrive at 8:30, you are an hour late. Halb acht = 7:30. Every English speaker makes this mistake exactly once.
💡 Study Tip: Think of 'halb' as 'halfway TO': halb drei = halfway to three = 2:30. Halb eins = halfway to one = 12:30.
5. Die Uhrzeit - Official (24-Hour Clock)
Official time is completely regular: say the hour, then 'Uhr', then the minutes.
The 24-hour clock is used for timetables, appointments, TV listings, opening hours, and any formal context. There is no halb, no vor, no nach - just the numbers. If the informal system intimidates you, you can use official time in almost any situation and be perfectly understood. Use 'um' for 'at' a time, 'von...bis...' for 'from...to...', and 'gegen' for 'around'.
Der Zug fährt um vierzehn Uhr dreißig.
— The train departs at 14:30.
💡 Official: completely regular
Ich arbeite von neun bis fünf.
— I work from nine to five.
💡 'von...bis...' = from...to...
Wir treffen uns gegen acht.
— We meet around eight.
💡 'gegen' = around / approximately
Der Film beginnt um zwanzig Uhr fünf.
— The film starts at 20:05.
⚠️ Common Mistake: Do not mix systems. Say either 'halb drei' (informal) or 'vierzehn Uhr dreißig' (official), but not 'halb fünfzehn'.
💡 Study Tip: When in doubt, use official time. It is always correct and removes all ambiguity. This is what Herr Bauer does in the dialogue: he confirms 'halb elf' by restating it as 'zehn Uhr dreißig'.
6. morgen vs. der Morgen (Tomorrow vs. Morning)
morgen (lowercase) = tomorrow. Der Morgen (capitalised) = the morning. Same word, different meaning.
Context and capitalisation distinguish these two meanings. Common combinations: morgen früh = tomorrow morning, heute Morgen = this morning. Related time words: heute = today, gestern = yesterday, übermorgen = the day after tomorrow, vorgestern = the day before yesterday.
Morgen ist Montag.
— Tomorrow is Monday.
💡 morgen = tomorrow (start of sentence, so capitalised)
Heute Morgen war ich müde.
— This morning I was tired.
💡 Morgen = morning (noun)
Morgen früh habe ich einen Termin.
— Tomorrow morning I have an appointment.
Bis übermorgen!
— See you the day after tomorrow!
⚠️ Common Mistake: At the start of a sentence, 'morgen' (tomorrow) is capitalised just like any word, so context is the only way to distinguish it from 'der Morgen' (morning). Pay close attention!
💡 Study Tip: If you see 'morgen' alone as a time word, it means tomorrow. If you see 'der Morgen' or 'heute Morgen' with an article or another time word, it means morning.
📖 Study Offline with the Official German A1 Ebook (PDF)
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📖 Core Vocabulary / Wortschatz (45 Words)
Click 🔊 to hear correct German pronunciation. Nouns are marked with articles: der (masculine) die (feminine) das (neuter).
| Audio | German | English | Type | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| derMontag | Monday | noun (m.) |
Am Montag beginnt die Arbeit. (On Monday work begins.)
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| derDienstag | Tuesday | noun (m.) |
Am Dienstag habe ich Deutschkurs. (On Tuesday I have German class.)
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| derMittwoch | Wednesday | noun (m.) |
Mittwoch ist die Mitte der Woche. (Wednesday is the middle of the week.)
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| derDonnerstag | Thursday | noun (m.) |
Am Donnerstag gehe ich einkaufen. (On Thursday I go shopping.)
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| derFreitag | Friday | noun (m.) |
Am Freitag ist die Woche fast vorbei. (On Friday the week is almost over.)
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| derSamstag | Saturday (south/west) | noun (m.) |
Am Samstag schlafe ich lange. (On Saturday I sleep in.)
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| derSonnabend | Saturday (north/east) | noun (m.) |
Am Sonnabend gehen wir spazieren. (On Saturday we go for a walk.)
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| derSonntag | Sunday | noun (m.) |
Am Sonntag sind die Geschäfte zu. (On Sunday the shops are closed.)
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| derJanuar | January | noun (m.) |
Im Januar ist es kalt. (In January it is cold.)
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| derFebruar | February | noun (m.) |
Im Februar schneit es manchmal. (In February it sometimes snows.)
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| derMärz | March | noun (m.) |
Im März beginnt der Frühling. (In March spring begins.)
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| derApril | April | noun (m.) |
Im April regnet es oft. (In April it often rains.)
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| derMai | May | noun (m.) |
Im Mai blühen die Blumen. (In May the flowers bloom.)
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| derJuni | June | noun (m.) |
Im Juni beginnt der Sommer. (In June summer begins.)
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| derJuli | July | noun (m.) |
Im Juli ist es heiß. (In July it is hot.)
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| derAugust | August | noun (m.) |
Im August fahren wir in den Urlaub. (In August we go on holiday.)
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| derSeptember | September | noun (m.) |
Im September beginnt die Schule. (In September school begins.)
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| derOktober | October | noun (m.) |
Im Oktober ist das Oktoberfest. (In October is the Oktoberfest.)
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| derNovember | November | noun (m.) |
Im November wird es früh dunkel. (In November it gets dark early.)
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| derDezember | December | noun (m.) |
Im Dezember ist Weihnachten. (In December is Christmas.)
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| derFrühling | spring | noun (m.) |
Im Frühling wird es wärmer. (In spring it gets warmer.)
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| derSommer | summer | noun (m.) |
Im Sommer scheint die Sonne. (In summer the sun shines.)
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| derHerbst | autumn / fall | noun (m.) |
Im Herbst fallen die Blätter. (In autumn the leaves fall.)
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| derWinter | winter | noun (m.) |
Im Winter brauche ich einen Mantel. (In winter I need a coat.)
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| dieUhr | clock / o'clock | noun (f.) |
Es ist drei Uhr. (It is three o'clock.)
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| dieStunde | hour | noun (f.) |
Eine Stunde hat sechzig Minuten. (An hour has sixty minutes.)
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| dieMinute | minute | noun (f.) |
Warte fünf Minuten. (Wait five minutes.)
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| derTermin | appointment | noun (m.) |
Ich habe einen Termin um zehn Uhr. (I have an appointment at ten o'clock.)
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| derGeburtstag | birthday | noun (m.) |
Mein Geburtstag ist am dritten Mai. (My birthday is on the 3rd of May.)
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| dasWochenende | weekend | noun (n.) |
Am Wochenende bin ich frei. (At the weekend I am free.)
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| dieWoche | week | noun (f.) |
Die Woche hat sieben Tage. (The week has seven days.)
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| derMonat | month | noun (m.) |
Ein Jahr hat zwölf Monate. (A year has twelve months.)
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| dasJahr | year | noun (n.) |
Das Jahr hat vier Jahreszeiten. (The year has four seasons.)
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| heute | today | adverb |
Heute ist Dienstag. (Today is Tuesday.)
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| morgen | tomorrow | adverb |
Morgen gehe ich zum Arzt. (Tomorrow I go to the doctor.)
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| gestern | yesterday | adverb |
Gestern war Montag. (Yesterday was Monday.)
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| übermorgen | the day after tomorrow | adverb |
Übermorgen ist Donnerstag. (The day after tomorrow is Thursday.)
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| vorgestern | the day before yesterday | adverb |
Vorgestern war Samstag. (The day before yesterday was Saturday.)
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| halb | half (toward next hour) | adjective |
Es ist halb drei. (It is 2:30 (halfway to three).)
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| Viertel | quarter | noun (n.) |
Es ist Viertel nach eins. (It is quarter past one.)
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| nach | after / past (time) | preposition |
Es ist zehn nach acht. (It is ten past eight.)
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| vor | before / to (time) | preposition |
Es ist fünf vor zwölf. (It is five to twelve.)
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| um | at (clock time) | preposition |
Der Kurs beginnt um neun Uhr. (The course begins at nine o'clock.)
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| gegen | around / approximately (time) | preposition |
Wir kommen gegen acht. (We come around eight.)
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| Punkt | sharp / on the dot | adverb |
Punkt acht sind wir da. (At eight sharp we are there.)
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💬 Key Conversational Phrases / Redemittel
Wie spät ist es?
What time is it? · The standard question for asking the time
Wie viel Uhr ist es?
What time is it? · Alternative way to ask the time
Es ist halb drei.
It is 2:30. · Telling time informally - remember halb counts FORWARD
Der Wievielte ist heute?
What is the date today? · Asking for today's date
Heute ist der fünfte Oktober.
Today is the 5th of October. · Stating a date
Ich habe am dritten Mai Geburtstag.
My birthday is on the 3rd of May. · Stating a birthday
Wann können Sie?
When can you come? · Scheduling an appointment
Ich hätte gern einen Termin.
I would like an appointment. · Booking an appointment
Das passt.
That works / That suits me. · Confirming a time works for you
Von neun bis fünf.
From nine to five. · Expressing a time range
Auf Wiederhören!
Goodbye! (on the phone) · Phone-specific farewell: 'hear again' vs 'see again'
Bis Dienstag!
Until Tuesday! / See you Tuesday! · Saying goodbye with a specific day
🗣️ Practical Dialogue / Dialog
Situation: Der Termin (The Appointment)
Praxis:
Praxis Dr. Lehmann, guten Morgen.
Dr. Lehmann's practice, good morning.
Herr Bauer:
Guten Morgen. Ich hätte gern einen Termin.
Good morning. I would like an appointment.
Praxis:
Gerne. Wann können Sie?
Gladly. When can you come?
Herr Bauer:
Am Dienstag, wenn möglich.
On Tuesday, if possible.
Praxis:
Dienstag, der siebzehnte März... Um halb elf?
Tuesday the 17th of March... At half ten?
Herr Bauer:
Halb elf - also zehn Uhr dreißig?
Half eleven - so 10:30?
Praxis:
Genau, zehn Uhr dreißig.
Exactly, 10:30.
Herr Bauer:
Das passt. Vielen Dank.
That works. Many thanks.
Praxis:
Ihr Name, bitte?
Your name, please?
Herr Bauer:
Bauer. Be-A-U-E-Er.
Bauer. B-A-U-E-R.
Praxis:
Danke. Bis Dienstag, Herr Bauer!
Thank you. Until Tuesday, Mr Bauer!
Herr Bauer:
Auf Wiederhören!
Goodbye! (on the phone)