Uhr
/uːr/feminine
The German word for watch is Uhr.
Uhr refers to a timepiece, used for both a wearable watch and a stationary clock. If you want to specify a pocket watch, you can use Taschenuhr.
Meaning: portable or wearable timepiece (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Uhr is a feminine noun, so it takes the feminine definite article die (e.g., die Uhr). The plural form of Uhr is Uhren.
How do you pronounce it?
/uːr/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use Uhr to mean the verb 'to watch'. In German, Uhr is strictly a noun for a timepiece. Verbs like aufpassen, überwachen or wachen are used for the action of watching or guarding.
Did you know?
- The word Uhr is actually a 'doublet' of the German word for 'year', which is Jahr.
- In Germany, there is a tradition of the Kuckucksuhr or cuckoo clock, which originated in the Black Forest region.
- When talking about the time, Uhr is used, but when talking about a duration of time, Germans use the word Stunde.
Examples in context
- Gib mir die Uhr.Give me the watch.This sentence is useful for requesting the timepiece.Tatoeba #6644896 by Felixjp, translation #3151464 by CK
- Wo ist Toms Uhr?Where's Tom's watch?This sentence is useful for asking about the location of a timepiece.Tatoeba #8246309 by Luiaard, translation #6781726 by CK
- Es ist keine Uhr.It's not a watch.This sentence is useful for stating that an object is not a timepiece.Tatoeba #6645047 by Felixjp, translation #710677 by CM
- Bitte stellen Sie Ihre Uhr fünf Minuten vor.Please set your watch five minutes ahead.
- Ich muss noch schnell meine Uhr suchen, bevor wir gehen.I need to quickly find my watch before we leave.
- Welche Armbanduhr findest du besser: die silberne oder die goldene?Which watch do you prefer: the silver one or the golden one?
- Mein Großvater besaß eine alte Taschenuhr, die er mir vermachte.My grandfather owned an old pocket watch, which he bequeathed to me.
- 363 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sarah and Julian are looking at a gift in a shop.
- SarahSchau mal, diese Uhr ist toll!Look, this watch is great!
- JulianJa, die Uhr passt gut zu dir, Sarah.Yes, the watch suits you well, Sarah.
- SarahIst sie nicht etwas zu groß?Is it perhaps a bit too large?
- JulianIch finde die Uhr perfekt für dich.I think the watch is perfect for you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “watch” translations and entries Uhr, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Uhr, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
