The English system has many possibilities to tell the time. Depending on the region it can be quite similar to the German system or even quite confusing. One of the main difference between the English and the German system is that the German system can have 24 hours. The English usually has only 12 hours and the differentiation between a.m. and p.m. Ok, American militaries also use 24 hours, but in Germany not only soldiers use this kind of system.
First of all, one has to learn the wording of giving the time, because it is different from what is written. After the full hour the word Uhr is put, which usually means clock. This again is similar to o'clock.
Some examples
2.20 Uhr
zwei Uhr und
zwanzig Minuten
1.40 Uhr
ein Uhr und vierzig Minuten
14.17 Uhr
vierzehn Uhr und siebzehn
Minuten
In spoken language usually the words Minuten or und are not spoken. But as explained above one can use them.
Time
One reads
full hour
Uhr
minutes
2.20 Uhr
zwei
Uhr
zwanzig
1.40 Uhr
ein
Uhr
vierzig
14.17 Uhr
siebzehn
Uhr
siebzehn
Then there is an alternative way of telling the time. This is most similar to the English way, one says nach for the English past. The preposition to is in German vor (before).
Time
One reads
minutes
preposition
hour
2.20 Uhr
zwanzig
nach
zwei
1.40 Uhr
zwanzig
vor
zwei
14.17 Uhr
siebzehn
nach
zwei
If the time contains a fraction of a full hour (ein Viertel = a quarter, halb = half) there is another possibility to give the time. But, be careful! When given halfs it is in contrary to the logic used in Britain! While half three in Britain means half past three; in German it is half past two!!!
Third possibility to give the time
2.15 Uhr
(ein)viertel
drei (or zwei
Uhr und 15 Minuten or Viertel nach zwei)
15.30 Uhr
halb vier
(or drei Uhr und 30
Minuten)
15.45 Uhr
dreiviertel vier
(or 15 Minuten
vor vier or Viertel vor vier)
6.30 Uhr
halb sieben (or
sechs Uhr dreißig)
7.15 Uhr
(ein)viertel acht (or
sieben Uhr fünfzehn or Viertel nach sieben)
7.45 Uhr
dreiviertel acht
(or Viertel vor
acht or sieben
Uhr fünfundvierzig)
The expressions viertel vier, halb vier, dreiviertel vier etc. are quite rare. They are not used in all regions of German speaking countries. Often people then try to relate viertel vier to viertel nach vier, which is not correct. So, you see Germans have managed to develop a system that they do not even understand themselves correctly. But mostly you cannot go wrong using the first or second possibility we introduced.
When trying to understand the logic within this viertel vier just think that it relates to the full hour vier and a quarter of it is gone on the way to this full hour. The same happens with halb vier. Half of the way towards the full hour vier is gone. And the same happens with drei viertel vier. Not so difficult.
time
next full hour
fraction
one says
4.30 Uhr
5
halb
halb fünf
9.15 Uhr
10
viertel
viertel zehn
9.45 Uhr
10
dreiviertel
dreiviertel zehn
12.15 Uhr
1
viertel
viertel eins
16.45 Uhr
5
dreiviertel
dreiviertel fünf
21.15 Uhr
10
viertel
viertel zehn
When using this way of giving the time there is one more thing to be taken into account: it only works with numbers up to 12.
