Telling the time using halb and Viertel in German
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Telling the time using halb and Viertel
Reminder: in the time format with minutes at the start we use halb (half) and Viertel (quarter).
18:15 Uhr = Viertel nach sechs (abends)
quarter past six (in the evening)
08:30 Uhr = halb neun (morgens)
half eight (in the morning)
This is how Viertel (quarter) and halb (half) are used:
- Viertel nach (quarter past) + hour
07:15 Uhr = Viertel nach sieben
quarter past seven
- Viertel vor (quarter to) + next hour
07:45 Uhr = Viertel vor acht
quarter to eight
- halb (half) + next hour
07:30 Uhr = halb acht
half past seven (German gives the upcoming hour after halb, not the previous hour)
This is how nach (past) and vor (to) are used.
- For minutes between 1 and 29 you use nach (past):
07:20 Uhr = zwanzig nach sieben
twenty past seven
- For minutes between 31 and 59 you use vor (to):
07:40 Uhr = zwanzig vor acht
twenty to eight
Note: in some regions they also use the expressions viertel (quarter) + the upcoming hour, or drei viertel (three quarters) + the upcoming hour:
07:15 Uhr = viertel acht
quarter past seven
07:45 Uhr = drei viertel acht
quarter to eight
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