It’s how long a class lasts, how long you wait at the dentist, or how long you promise you’ll just watch one episode. In German, it’s die Stunde. This is your German Word of the Day—measurable, familiar, and essential in scheduling, studying, and storytelling.

The noun Stunde means hour, and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. You’ll see it in daily planning, school timetables, and phrases that express duration or drama.

It’s a feminine noun, so we say die Stunde (want to stop guessing gender? Our video lesson shows you how to learn it naturally and permanently).

Pronunciation

Stunde is pronounced [SHTOON-duh]

• Stu like “shtoon” (with short oo)

• nde like “duh”

• Stress on the first syllable: STÚNde

Example sentences

• Der Film dauert über zwei Stunden.
  The movie lasts over two hours.

• Ich warte schon eine halbe Stunde.
  I’ve been waiting for half an hour.

• Nächste Stunde haben wir Mathe.
  Next period we have math class.

Nuance and usage tips

🕒 In timekeeping and daily life:

• eine Stunde – one hour

• zwei Stunden / fünf Stunden – two / five hours

• halbe Stunde – half an hour

• Viertelstunde – quarter of an hour

• Stundenzahl – number of hours

🏫 In school:

• Unterrichtsstunde – lesson period

• Doppelstunde – double period

• Klassenstunde – homeroom period

🗣️ Common phrases:

• zur vollen Stunde – on the hour

• jede Stunde zählt – every hour counts

• die letzte Stunde schlagen – one’s final hour strikes (dramatic/poetic)

• auf die Stunde genau – exactly to the hour

• eine ruhige Stunde haben – to have a quiet hour (moment of peace)

How does this word come up in real conversations?

• "Wie lange dauert das?" – "Etwa eine Stunde."
  "How long does it take?" – "About an hour."

• "In einer Stunde bin ich zurück."
  I’ll be back in an hour.

• "Ich habe nur noch eine Stunde Zeit."
  I only have one hour left.

Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)

Tobi: Wann fängt der Kurs an?
Lina: In einer Stunde – um 16 Uhr.
Tobi: Puh, dann hab ich noch Zeit für einen Kaffee.
Lina: Aber komm nicht zu spät!

Translation:
Tobi: When does the class start?
Lina: In an hour—at 4 PM.
Tobi: Whew, then I still have time for a coffee.
Lina: But don’t be late!

Grammatical case examples

Nominative:
Die Stunde ist gleich vorbei.
The hour is almost over.

Accusative:
Ich warte jetzt schon eine Stunde.
I’ve already been waiting for an hour.

Dative:
Nach einer Stunde ging er nach Hause.
After an hour, he went home.

Genitive:
Die Länge der Stunde wurde geändert.
The length of the hour was changed.

Word variations and language tidbits

• Stundenplan – timetable (school/work schedule)

• Stundenlohn – hourly wage

• Stundenhotel – pay-by-the-hour hotel (wink wink)

• Stundensatz – hourly rate

• Überstunden – overtime

• Null-Stunden-Vertrag – zero-hour contract (UK-style employment)

🕰️ Fun fact: German students often say “In der ersten Stunde haben wir Deutsch.” This doesn’t mean “in the first hour of the day,” but rather “in first period.” The school day is often divided into numbered Stunden.

📘 Duden entry: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Stunde
🎥 Want to make every Stunde count? Our free video course teaches the top 1000 German nouns—quickly, clearly, and with lasting results.

Ready for more German Words of the Day?
Do you know what Sturm means? After one, every Stunde of calm feels sweeter.
And what about Sünde? You might regret one—an Stunde später.