How to Say “What Is the Time?” in German

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wie viel Uhr ist es?
The English phrase "what is the time?" is expressed in German as wie viel Uhr ist es?
This phrase is used to ask someone for the current time of day.

What does it mean word for word?

Literally, wie viel Uhr ist es? translates to "how much clock is it?" in English.

Which one should you use?

While wie viel Uhr ist es? is a standard way to ask the time, you can also use the common alternative Wie spät ist es?, which literally means "How late is it?"

How does it change in a sentence?

In the phrase wie viel Uhr ist es?, the word viel is part of the interrogative wie viel (how much), whereas English uses "what" to ask the question.

What mistakes should you avoid?

Avoid translating the English phrase literally as Was ist die Zeit? While this follows English word order, it is not a natural way to ask for the time in German.

Did you know?

  • The word Uhr can be traced back to the Ancient Greek word ὥρᾱ, which referred to a season or a specific time of day.
  • In German, the word for 'clock' and the word for 'hour' are the same, meaning Uhr serves both roles.

Examples in context

  • Entschuldigung, wie viel Uhr ist es?
    Excuse me, what is the time?

Example conversation

Felix and Julia are waiting at a train station.

  1. Felix

    Julia, wie viel Uhr ist es?
    Julia, what is the time?
  2. Julia

    Es ist genau zehn nach vier.
    It is exactly ten past four.
  3. Felix

    Oh, der Zug hat Verspätung.
    Oh, the train is delayed.
  4. Julia

    Kein Problem, wir haben noch Zeit.
    No problem, we still have time.

Sources

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Frederick Jayden
Frederick JaydenHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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