Language/German/Grammar/Using-Time-Expressions

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German → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Time and Temporal Prepositions → Using Time Expressions

Introduction

In this lesson, we will learn how to use time expressions in German. Time expressions are important for understanding and communicating about specific points in time or durations. Whether you want to talk about appointments, schedules, or events, using the correct time expressions is crucial. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to confidently use time expressions in your German sentences.

Basic Time Expressions

Let's start by learning some basic time expressions in German:

• Heute (today)
• Morgen (tomorrow)
• Gestern (yesterday)
• Jetzt (now)
• Später (later)
• Früher (earlier)

These time expressions are used to refer to specific points in time. For example:

• Ich habe heute einen Termin. (I have an appointment today.)
• Morgen gehe ich einkaufen. (Tomorrow I am going shopping.)
• Gestern war ich im Kino. (Yesterday I was at the cinema.)
• Ich bin jetzt beschäftigt. (I am busy now.)
• Wir treffen uns später. (We will meet later.)
• Sie ist früher gekommen. (She came earlier.)

Time Expressions with Verbs

Time expressions can also be used with verbs to indicate when an action takes place. Here are some common time expressions used with verbs:

• Immer (always)
• Oft (often)
• Manchmal (sometimes)
• Selten (rarely)
• Nie (never)

Let's see some examples:

• Ich gehe immer ins Fitnessstudio. (I always go to the gym.)
• Er isst oft Pizza. (He often eats pizza.)
• Manchmal trinke ich Kaffee. (Sometimes I drink coffee.)
• Sie geht selten tanzen. (She rarely goes dancing.)
• Ich spiele nie Fußball. (I never play soccer.)

Note that these time expressions are usually placed before the verb in a sentence.

Time Expressions with Other Sentence Elements

Time expressions can also be used with other sentence elements to provide more context. Here are some examples:

• Seit (since)
• Vor (ago)
• In (in)
• Um (at)
• Nach (after)

Let's look at some examples:

• Ich lerne Deutsch seit einem Jahr. (I have been learning German for a year.)
• Er ist vor zwei Tagen angekommen. (He arrived two days ago.)
• In drei Tagen ist mein Geburtstag. (In three days, it's my birthday.)
• Wir treffen uns um 8 Uhr. (We meet at 8 o'clock.)
• Nach dem Essen gehe ich spazieren. (After eating, I go for a walk.)

These time expressions can be used to indicate duration, past events, future events, specific times, or sequence of events.

Summary

In this lesson, we have learned how to use time expressions in German. We covered basic time expressions, time expressions with verbs, and time expressions with other sentence elements. Remember to practice using these time expressions in your own sentences to become more comfortable with them. In the next lesson, we will explore temporal prepositions and how to use them in context.

Table of Contents - German Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Basic Sentence Structures

• Subject and Verb
• Noun and Gender

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Greetings and Introduction

• Greetings and Goodbyes
• Introducing Yourself

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Definite and Indefinite Articles

• Gender and Articles
• Plural Forms
• Cases: Nominative and Accusative

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Numbers, Dates and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Days of the Week and Months
• Telling Time

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Verbs and Conjugation

• Verb Forms
• Present Tense
• Separable Verbs

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Family and Friends

• Family Members
• Talking About Your Friends

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Prepositions

• Using Prepositions
• Two-Way Prepositions

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Food and Drinks

• Food and Meals
• Drinks and Beverages

  ---

Germany and German-Speaking Countries

• Geography and Landmarks
• Cuisine and Traditions

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Pronouns and Possessives

• Personal Pronouns
• Possessive Pronouns

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Travel and Transportation

• Booking a Trip
• Public Transportation

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Modal Verbs

• Expressing Abilities
• Talking About Obligations

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Shopping and Clothes

• Shopping for Clothes
• Buying Groceries

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Music and Entertainment

• Popular Musicians and Genres
• Movies, TV and Literature

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Adjectives

• Descriptive Adjectives
• Comparative and Superlative Forms

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Health and Body

• Talking About Health
• Body Parts

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Time and Temporal Prepositions

• Using Time Expressions
• Temporal Prepositions

Sources

• Time Expressions in German
• 36 Essential German Time Phrases and Expressions for Beginners ...
• German Time Expressions with Pronunciation - ielanguages.com

Other Lessons

• Future Tense
• Present Tense
• Descriptive Adjectives
• Subject and Verb
• Possessive Case in German
• Prepositions
• Imperative Tense
• Pronouns in German
• 0 to A1 Course
• Adjectives

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