Zeiten
The German word for 'times' is Zeiten.
Zeiten refers to specific eras, epochs or periods of history. It is not used for counting how many times an event has occurred.
Meaning: multiplied by (prep)
Which one should you use?
If you want to say 'times' in the sense of an indefinite number of occurrences, such as 'many times', use the word Mal instead of Zeiten.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Switzerland, the Swiss-German dialect uses z'wölfi to mean 'at twelve o'clock'.
How does it change in a sentence?
Zeiten is the plural form of the noun Zeit (time).
Did you know?
- The word Zeiten is central to the concept of 'Zeitgeist', a German loanword in English that refers to the 'spirit of the times' or a specific cultural era.
- When performing mathematical calculations, Germans use the word mal as a particle, such as 'drei mal drei' for 'three times three', rather than using a noun.
- The word Mal used for occurrences is so versatile that it can be turned into an adverb like manchmal, which means 'sometimes'.
Examples in context
- Die Zeiten sind hart.Times are tough.This sentence is useful for describing tough circumstances using Zeiten.Tatoeba #1495396 by Esperantostern, translation #1495336 by Thryth
- Das waren gute Zeiten!Those were good times!This sentence is useful for reminiscing about good periods using Zeiten.Tatoeba #8631046 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #5827354 by arh
- Ganz wie in alten Zeiten!This is just like old times.This sentence is useful for comparing a current situation to the past using Zeiten.Tatoeba #4501680 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #4500644 by CK
- Das Treffen beginnt um 14:30.The meeting will start at 14:30.
- Die Konferenz beginnt um 9 Uhr.The conference begins at 9 o'clock.
- Wir haben eine Reservierung um 19 Uhr 30.We have a reservation at 19:30.
- Lass uns um halb neun ins Kino gehenLet's go to the movies at half past eight
- Wir sehen uns um viertel elfQuarter past ten
- Das Treffen ist um z'wölfiAt twelve o'clock
- 81 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Lukas are doing math homework together.
- JuliaWie viel ist drei Zeiten vier?How much is three times four?
- LukasDas ist ganz einfach, das ist zwölf.That is very simple, it is twelve.
- JuliaRichtig! Und was ist fünf Zeiten fünf?Correct! And what is five times five?
- LukasDas ist fünfundzwanzig.That is twenty-five.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Zeiten, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
