21 December 2025
How do you tell time in German?
To better understand German time-expressions like “zwanzig vor” and “fünf vor halb fünf” it may help to imagine the clock as depicted below:
“Vor” and “Nach”
Generally, if something is within 20-25 minutes before the hour, Germans use “vor”, and for everything within 20-25 minutes past the hour, they use “nach”:
Es ist 10 vor 6. It’s 10 minutes to 6. = 5:50Es ist Viertel nach 6. It’s quarter past 6. = 6:15 (and Viertel vor 7 = 6:45). Heads-up: in parts of eastern and southern Germany you’ll also hear viertel sieben for 6:15 and dreiviertel sieben for 6:45.Es ist 20 nach 6. It’s 20 past 6. = 6:20Es ist 10 vor. It’s 10 minutes to the hour. = X:50
“Halb”
If something is within 5 minutes of the absolute bottom of the hour (where the 6 is on a clock), this is called “halb” and Germans use expressions like “vor halb” and “nach halb”.
Halb names the upcoming hour: halb sechs means halfway to six, or 5:30.
Es ist 5 nach halb 6. It’s 5:35.Es ist 5 vor halb 6. It’s 5:25.Es ist 5 vor halb. It’s 25 minutes past the hour.
Kurz
If you’re talking about just a few minutes, Germans often use “kurz vor” or “kurz nach” rather than be specific. Not, however, at train stations, or anywhere you might use the 24-hour clock. Telling time is something you’ll use every day - so it’s worth practicing early.
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