halb zehn
The German phrase for "half past nine" is halb zehn.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, halb zehn translates to "half ten", meaning half of the way to ten.
Which one should you use?
While English uses the past hour to denote the time (half past nine), German uses the upcoming hour (half ten).
Did you know?
- If a German speaker says halb zehn but is actually referring to 9:30, they might follow it with kurz vor or kurz nach to specify if the time is slightly before or after the half-hour mark.
- The word halb is a cognate of the English 'half', sharing the same Proto-Germanic root *halbaz.
- While English speakers say 'half past', Germans conceptualize the time as a fraction of the next hour, treating the hour as a container that is being filled.
Examples in context
- Frühstück ist um halb zehn.Breakfast is at half past nine.Tatoeba #4177355 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1400896 by CM
- Als wir ankamen, war es schon halb zehn Uhr abends.It was already half past nine in the evening when we arrived.Tatoeba #3419356 by al_ex_an_der, translation #11675096 by sundown
- „Frühstück bitte um halb zehn. Ist das Badewasser schon heiß?“ – „Nein, werte Dame, noch nicht.“"Breakfast please at about half past nine. Is the bathing water hot already?" "No, madam, not yet."Tatoeba #6201791 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #6202379 by carlosalberto
- Entschuldigen Sie bitte, aber es ist halb zehn.Excuse me, but it's half past nine.
- Hey, es ist schon halb zehn!Hey, it's already half past nine!
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Sarah are in their kitchen in the morning.
- SarahIst es schon halb zehn?Is it already half past nine?
- LukasNein, es ist erst halb neun.No, it is only half past eight.
- SarahOh, dann habe ich noch Zeit.Oh, then I still have time.
- LukasJa, wir haben noch viel Zeit.Yes, we still have plenty of time.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries halb, zehn, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
