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Time and Place in German – A1 Grammar Made Simple

Talking about time

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Time expressions are important in everyday German. They tell us when something happens – now, later, yesterday, tomorrow. In German, these expressions usually come early in the sentence, sometimes even at the beginning.

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Time words (when?):

  • heute (today)

  • morgen (tomorrow)

  • jetzt (now)

  • gestern (yesterday)

  • bald (soon)

  • immer (always)

  • nie (never)

These words answer the question „Wann?“ (When?).

 

Examples:

  • Ich lerne heute Deutsch. (I'm learning German today.)

  • Wir fahren morgen nach Berlin. (We're going to Berlin tomorrow.)

  • Er kommt jetzt. (He's coming now.)

 

Tip: Time expressions can start the sentence, but the verb stays in position 2.

  • Heute lerne ich Deutsch.

  • Morgen fährt sie nach München.

Clock time and parts of the day

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In German, when you talk about exact clock times, use um + the time.

  • um 8 Uhr (at 8 o'clock)

  • um 14:30 (at 2:30 PM)

  • um Mitternacht (at midnight)

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Examples:

  • Der Kurs beginnt um 9 Uhr. (The class starts at 9 o'clock.)

  • Ich schlafe um Mitternacht. (I go to sleep at midnight.)

 

When talking about general times of the day (like morning or evening), use am or in der:

Parts of the day:

  • am Morgen (in the morning)

  • am Nachmittag (in the afternoon)

  • am Abend (in the evening)

  • in der Nacht (at night)

 

Examples:

  • Ich arbeite am Vormittag. (I work in the late morning.)

  • Sie liest am Abend. (She reads in the evening.)

 

Tip: "am" is short for "an dem" – you’ll see it a lot with days and daytime expressions.

Days, months, seasons

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German uses prepositions before dates and periods of time.

Use “am” for days of the week and dates:

  • am Montag (on Monday)

  • am Dienstag (on Tuesday)

  • am Mittwoch (on Wednesday)

  • am Donnerstag (on Thursday)

  • am Freitag (on Friday)

  • am Samstag (on Saturday)

  • am Sonntag (on Sunday)

  • am Wochenende (on the weekend)

  • am 10. Mai (on the 10th of May)

 

Use “im” for months and seasons:

  • im Januar (in January)

  • im Februar (in February)

  • im März (in March)

  • im April (in April)

  • im Mai (in May)

  • im Juni (in June)

  • im Juli (in July)

  • im August (in August)

  • im September (in September)

  • im Oktober (in October)

  • im November (in November)

  • im Dezember (in December)

 

Seasons:

  • im Frühling (in spring)

  • im Sommer (in summer)

  • im Herbst (in autumn)

  • im Winter (in winter)

 

Examples:

  • Ich habe am Freitag keine Schule. (I have no school on Friday.)

  • Wir reisen im Dezember. (We travel in December.)

  • Das Wetter ist schön im Sommer. (The weather is nice in summer.)

 

Tip: Think of "am" = on a specific day, and "im" = within a longer period like a month or season.

Talking about place

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To say where something happens, use place words and prepositions. These answer the question „Wo?“ (Where?).

 

Common place words:

  • hier (here)

  • dort (there)

  • zu Hause (at home)

  • im Park (in the park)

  • in der Stadt (in the city)

 

Examples:

  • Ich bin zu Hause. (I am at home.)

  • Wir treffen uns im Café. (We meet in the café.)

  • Sie wohnt in Berlin. (She lives in Berlin.)

 

Prepositions with place:

  • in + dative: in der Schule (at school), im Büro (in the office)

  • auf + dative: auf dem Tisch (on the table), auf dem Markt (at the market)

  • bei + dative: bei Anna (at Anna’s house), bei der Arbeit (at work)

 

Tip: “in” means inside a location, “auf” often refers to a surface or public place, and “bei” means at someone’s place or nearby.

Word order: Time before Place

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In German, when you give more than one detail in a sentence, use the TMP rule:

Time – Manner – Place

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That means: say when, then how, then where.

Example:

  • Ich lerne am Montag (time) mit meiner Freundin (manner) in der Bibliothek (place).

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You can also begin your sentence with a time or place detail. But the verb still stays in position 2.

Examples:

  • Am Samstag gehe ich ins Kino. (On Saturday I go to the cinema.)

  • In der Schule sprechen wir Deutsch. (At school we speak German.)

 

Tip: Learn the phrase “verb in position 2” – it helps you sound natural and avoid common word order mistakes.

Summary – what to remember

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  • Use um + Uhrzeit: um 8 Uhr, um Mitternacht.

  • Use am for days and parts of the day: am Montag, am Abend.

  • Use im for months and seasons: im Januar, im Frühling.

  • Use in, auf, bei with dative to show place.

  • Follow the sentence order: Time – Manner – Place.

  • The verb is always in second position in the sentence.

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