Mitternacht
/ˈmɪtɐnaχt/feminine
Midnight in German is Mitternacht.
Mitternacht refers specifically to the exact point in time of 12:00 at night.
Meaning: 12 o'clock at night exactly (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of mit, meaning mid or middle and Nacht, meaning night.
Which one should you use?
While Mitternacht refers to the specific point in time at 12:00, the word Nacht refers to the entire period of darkness.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'at midnight', use the preposition um followed by Mitternacht. To say 'until midnight', use the preposition bis followed by Mitternacht.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmɪtɐnaχt/
Did you know?
- In Germany, the Mitternacht of New Year's Eve is the traditional time for Bleigießen, a custom of pouring molten lead into water to predict the future.
- The word Mitternacht is a compound where the first part mit has evolved from a meaning of 'middle', whereas in modern German mit usually means 'with'.
- In German folklore, Mitternacht is often associated with the Mitternachtshexe or midnight witch, who is said to be most powerful at this exact hour.
Examples in context
- Tom ging um Mitternacht.Tom left at midnight.This sentence shows how to use Mitternacht to indicate the time someone left.Tatoeba #1938097 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1024602 by CK
- Es ist fast Mitternacht.It's almost midnight.This sentence shows how to use Mitternacht to indicate it is almost that time.Tatoeba #8865935 by wolfgangth, translation #3736476 by CK
- Du hast bis Mitternacht.You have until midnight.This sentence shows how to use Mitternacht to indicate a time limit.Tatoeba #12815036 by Waldelfe, translation #2835749 by CK
- Es ist MitternachtIt is midnight.
- 150 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Laura are discussing their plans for New Year's Eve.
- LukasWann treffen wir uns morgen?When are we meeting tomorrow?
- LauraWir treffen uns pünktlich um Mitternacht.We are meeting exactly at midnight.
- LukasDas ist eine gute Idee.That is a good idea.
- LauraDann können wir zusammen feiern.Then we can celebrate together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “midnight” translations and entries Mitternacht, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Mitternacht, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
