Whether it’s a time for coffee, errands, or just winding down, the afternoon shows up in everyday plans and conversation. Knowing how to say afternoon in German helps you talk about time, appointments, and greetings naturally and accurately.
The German word is der Nachmittag. It’s masculine, and the plural is die Nachmittage. If you’d like a clearer picture of how German gender works, check out my gender video lesson.
Nachmittag is one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German, and you’ll hear it often in both formal and casual German.
Here are simple examples for all four cases:
Nominative:
Der Nachmittag war sonnig.
The afternoon was sunny.
Accusative:
Ich plane den Nachmittag.
I’m planning the afternoon.
Dative:
Am besten passt es am Nachmittag.
It works best in the afternoon.
Genitive:
Die Stunden des Nachmittags vergingen schnell.
The hours of the afternoon went by quickly.
You’ll find Nachmittag in many useful expressions:
Guten Nachmittag! – Good afternoon!
heute Nachmittag – this afternoon
am späten Nachmittag – in the late afternoon
der freie Nachmittag – the free afternoon
der Nachmittagsschlaf – afternoon nap
Verbs: planen (plan), verbringen (spend), genießen (enjoy), nicken (nap), arbeiten (work)
Adjectives: ruhig (quiet), lang (long), stressig (stressful), frei (free), heiß (hot)
Nachmittag comes up when talking about meetings, weather, family routines — or just when you had your last cup of coffee.
Beginner dialogue using Nachmittag:
A: Was machst du am Nachmittag?
B: Ich treffe meine Freunde im Park.
A: What are you doing in the afternoon?
B: I’m meeting my friends in the park.
Now it’s your turn. Think of your answer and say it out loud using Nachmittag.
“Wie sieht ein typischer Nachmittag für dich aus?”
What does a typical afternoon look like for you?
Even a short answer helps — just make sure to use Nachmittag in it.
German Word of the Day
Now you know how to say afternoon in German — and how der Nachmittag gives you the vocabulary to plan, greet, and chat about your day with ease.
Download the free illustrated PDF of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German and keep expanding your vocabulary in the right direction.
Ready for more German Words of the Day?
Check out Nacht — and learn how to describe evenings, sleep, and feelings.
Or revisit Nähe — and express emotional and spatial connections in real conversation.