{"id":99,"date":"2026-01-07T15:47:31","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T15:47:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/?p=99"},"modified":"2026-01-07T15:47:31","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T15:47:31","slug":"german-numbers-time-how-to-make-your-first-appointment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/german-numbers-time-how-to-make-your-first-appointment\/","title":{"rendered":"German Numbers & Time: How to Make Your First Appointment"},"content":{"rendered":"

Practical Survival: Numbers, Time, and Making Appointments<\/h2>\n

As an expat in Germany, your life will revolve around “Termine” (appointments). Whether you are booking a slot at the B\u00fcrgeramt<\/i>, visiting a doctor, or simply shopping for groceries, you need to master German numbers and time. While many Germans speak English, being able to understand a price or a time slot in German will make your daily life much smoother and show your commitment to integration.<\/p>\n

In this lesson, we will cover the logic of German numbers, the difference between formal and informal time, and the essential phrases you need to order food or services politely.<\/p>\n

1. German Numbers: The Building Blocks<\/h2>\n

German numbers follow a logical pattern, but there is a famous “twist” once you get past 20. For now, let’s focus on 0-20, which are the most common numbers you’ll hear at a checkout counter or when giving your phone number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Number<\/th>\nGerman<\/th>\nNumber<\/th>\nGerman<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
1<\/td>\neins<\/td>\n11<\/td>\nelf<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2<\/td>\nzwei<\/td>\n12<\/td>\nzw\u00f6lf<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3<\/td>\ndrei<\/td>\n13<\/td>\ndreizehn<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4<\/td>\nvier<\/td>\n14<\/td>\nvierzehn<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5<\/td>\nf\u00fcnf<\/td>\n15<\/td>\nf\u00fcnfzehn<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Expat Tip:<\/b> Note that 13 through 19 are formed by saying the smaller number + zehn<\/i> (ten). For example, 16 is sechzehn<\/i> (dropping the ‘s’ from sechs) and 17 is siebzehn<\/i> (dropping the ‘en’ from sieben).<\/p>\n

2. Telling Time (Die Uhrzeit)<\/h2>\n

Germany uses the 24-hour clock<\/b> (military time) for almost everything official: train schedules, store hours, and doctor appointments. In casual conversation, the 12-hour clock is common.<\/p>\n

Formal Time (Official)<\/h3>\n

Used at the bank, work, or airport. You simply say the hour, then the word “Uhr”<\/b>, then the minutes.<\/p>\n

    \n
  • 08:30 -> Acht Uhr drei\u00dfig<\/li>\n
  • 15:15 -> F\u00fcnfzehn Uhr f\u00fcnfzehn<\/li>\n
  • 20:00 -> Zwanzig Uhr<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Informal Time (Casual)<\/h3>\n

    Used with friends. Beware of the word “halb”<\/b> (half). In German, “halb” means halfway to the next hour<\/i>.<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Halb acht:<\/b> Means 7:30 (Halfway to eight). This is the #1 mistake for English speakers!<\/li>\n
    • Viertel nach:<\/b> Quarter past. (e.g., Viertel nach acht = 8:15).<\/li>\n
    • Viertel vor:<\/b> Quarter to. (e.g., Viertel vor acht = 7:45).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      3. Ordering Politely: “Ich h\u00e4tte gerne”<\/h2>\n

      When you go to a bakery or a caf\u00e9, never say “Ich will” (I want). It is considered very blunt. Instead, use the polite conditional form: “Ich h\u00e4tte gerne…”<\/b> (I would like to have…).<\/p>\n

      Key Vocabulary for Ordering:<\/b><\/p>\n

        \n
      • Einen Kaffee:<\/b> A coffee (Masc. Akkusativ – we will cover this next lesson!)<\/li>\n
      • Ein Wasser:<\/b> A water<\/li>\n
      • Die Rechnung, bitte:<\/b> The bill, please.<\/li>\n
      • Zahlen, bitte:<\/b> To pay, please.<\/li>\n
      • Mit Karte \/ Bar:<\/b> With card \/ Cash.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        4. Days of the Week and Appointments<\/h2>\n

        All days of the week are Masculine (Der)<\/b>. When you want to say “on Monday,” use the preposition “Am”<\/b>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
        German Day<\/th>\nEnglish Day<\/th>\nUsage Example<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
        Montag<\/td>\nMonday<\/td>\nAm Montag um 10 Uhr.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
        Mittwoch<\/td>\nWednesday<\/td>\nMittwoch ist ein Termin.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
        Freitag<\/td>\nFriday<\/td>\nSch\u00f6nes Wochenende!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

        5. Practical Exercise<\/h2>\n

        A. Write the following times in the formal (official) German way:<\/b><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. 09:45 -> __________________<\/li>\n
        2. 14:10 -> __________________<\/li>\n
        3. 22:30 -> __________________<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          B. Translate to German (Polite):<\/b><\/p>\n

            \n
          1. I would like a tea, please.<\/li>\n
          2. The appointment is on Tuesday at 11:00.<\/li>\n
          3. What time is it? (Wie sp\u00e4t ist es?)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Lesson Summary Checklist<\/h2>\n

            [ ] I can count from 1 to 20 in German.
            \n[ ] I understand the difference between 24-hour official time and casual time.
            \n[ ] I know that “Halb” refers to the next<\/i> hour (Halb 9 = 8:30).
            \n[ ] I can order food or drink politely using “Ich h\u00e4tte gerne.”
            \n[ ] I know the days of the week and how to use them with “Am”.<\/p>\n

            \n

            Next Step: Lesson 6<\/h3>\n

            Get ready for one of the most important grammar shifts in German! In Lesson 6: The Akkusativ Case<\/b>, we will learn why Der Kaffee<\/i> becomes Einen Kaffee<\/i> when you order it. This is the key to mastering German sentences.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Practical Survival: Numbers, Time, and Making Appointments As an expat in Germany, your life will revolve around “Termine” (appointments). Whether you are booking a slot at the B\u00fcrgeramt, visiting a doctor, or simply shopping for groceries, you need to master German numbers and time. While many Germans speak English, being able to understand a price …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":102,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-99","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-learn-german-a1"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":103,"href":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99\/revisions\/103"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/102"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shr7k.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}