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Time Prepositions in German
26.05.2025
3 minutes to read
In the German language, prepositions that indicate time are truly the foundation of any sentence where you need to say when something happens. They appear constantly in conversations — whether it’s about business meetings, vacations, schedules, or just describing your day. Words like “am”, “im”, “um”, “von … bis”, “seit”, and “ab” don’t just decorate speech — they frame it in time. The key is not only to understand their meaning but also to know how they work with grammatical cases. And most of the time, they require the dative case. Here’s how it works: Want to say the meeting is on Monday? That would be am Montag. If it’s in May — am 10. Mai. Talking about times of day? Also “am” — like am Morgen (“in the morning”). But night is a special case: instead of “am”, it’s in der Nacht (“at night”). These little differences are important to remember, or it’s easy to make mistakes. If you’re referring to something happening in a certain month or season — for example, in summer — you’ll use “im”: im Januar im Sommer When an event is tied to a precise clock time — like “class starts at 9” — there’s no question: um 9 Uhr — “at 9 o’clock” It’s simple and convenient once you understand the logic. What about time spans? That’s where “von … bis …” comes in handy. Typical usage: von Montag bis Freitag — from Monday to Friday von 9 bis 17 Uhr — from 9 to 5 (working hours) It’s clear and logical. Now for “seit” — this preposition is used when something started in the past and continues until now. Example: seit 2020 — since 2020 (and still ongoing)
To talk about something that starts in the future, use “ab”: ab morgen — starting tomorrow And yes, almost all of these prepositions require the dative case, which is not optional. A mistake with cases immediately reveals weak grammar knowledge. To avoid confusion, don’t try to memorize everything at once — learn step by step, with examples and practice. That’s the only way they’ll start to sound natural rather than forced or robotic.
To talk about something that starts in the future, use “ab”: ab morgen — starting tomorrow And yes, almost all of these prepositions require the dative case, which is not optional. A mistake with cases immediately reveals weak grammar knowledge. To avoid confusion, don’t try to memorize everything at once — learn step by step, with examples and practice. That’s the only way they’ll start to sound natural rather than forced or robotic.
Table of contents
Time prepositions in German — known as temporale Präpositionen — play a key role in grammar and are an essential part of everyday communication. They allow you to specify when exactly something happened, is happening, or will happen.
These prepositions provide temporal reference points, indicating not only specific moments in time but also durations or starting points.
Thanks to them, sentences become precise and structured, helping avoid ambiguity.
They are used to answer fundamental questions such as:
For example:
A mistake in case usage not only breaks grammar rules but can change the meaning of a sentence.
The most common grammatical cases used with time prepositions are the dative (Dativ) and the accusative (Akkusativ).
For example:
This is especially true in spoken language, writing letters, or drafting professional documents.
Even a small mistake can impact how your message is understood.
Each time preposition also comes with its own specific function, usage context, and semantic nuance.
For instance:
Regular review, active use in speech, and practicing with real examples all make it easier to remember how they work.
When these prepositions stop feeling like dry rules and start sounding like part of natural speech, they become automatic and fluent, helping you sound accurate and confident.
These prepositions provide temporal reference points, indicating not only specific moments in time but also durations or starting points.
Thanks to them, sentences become precise and structured, helping avoid ambiguity.
They are used to answer fundamental questions such as:
- Wann? – When?
- Seit wann? – Since when?
- Wie lange? – How long?
For example:
- am Montag highlights a specific day of the week when something occurred,
- while seit einem Jahr emphasizes the duration of an action that started in the past and is still ongoing.
A mistake in case usage not only breaks grammar rules but can change the meaning of a sentence.
The most common grammatical cases used with time prepositions are the dative (Dativ) and the accusative (Akkusativ).
For example:
- seit always takes the dative:
- seit einer Woche – “for a week” (and ongoing)
- für, which indicates a time span — especially for future or neutral actions — takes the accusative:
- für eine Woche – “for one week”
This is especially true in spoken language, writing letters, or drafting professional documents.
Even a small mistake can impact how your message is understood.
Each time preposition also comes with its own specific function, usage context, and semantic nuance.
For instance:
- ab and von … bis express clear time limits — when something starts and when it ends.
- um and im are used to indicate specific moments or periods:
- um 8 Uhr – “at 8 o’clock”
- im Dezember – “in December”
Regular review, active use in speech, and practicing with real examples all make it easier to remember how they work.
When these prepositions stop feeling like dry rules and start sounding like part of natural speech, they become automatic and fluent, helping you sound accurate and confident.
General Concept of Time Prepositions
The Preposition “vor”
The “von … bis” Construction
Prepositions “am” and “um”
The Preposition “seit”
Key Time Prepositions and Their Features
If you want to say that something happened in the past, the German preposition “vor” is exactly what you need.
It tells you how long ago something occurred.
This is very helpful when talking about past experiences, previous actions, or recent events.
Examples:
It’s one of those rules you must memorize, because getting the case wrong can completely distort the meaning or make your sentence ungrammatical.
For example:
You cannot use it to talk about the future — there are other prepositions for that.
Also, don’t confuse “vor” with “bevor”.
Even though they sound similar, they serve different grammatical roles:
It makes your message concrete, direct, and easy to understand.
It tells you how long ago something occurred.
This is very helpful when talking about past experiences, previous actions, or recent events.
Examples:
- vor einer Woche – a week ago
- vor drei Jahren – three years ago
- vor einer Stunde – an hour ago
It’s one of those rules you must memorize, because getting the case wrong can completely distort the meaning or make your sentence ungrammatical.
For example:
- You should say vor einem Monat – “a month ago”
- Not „vor einen Monat“ — that’s incorrect.
You cannot use it to talk about the future — there are other prepositions for that.
Also, don’t confuse “vor” with “bevor”.
Even though they sound similar, they serve different grammatical roles:
- “vor” is a preposition, meaning “ago”
- “bevor” is a conjunction, meaning “before” (as in “before I go”)
- For example:
- Bevor ich gehe, rufe ich dich an – Before I leave, I’ll call you.
It makes your message concrete, direct, and easy to understand.
The German construction “von … bis” is a simple and convenient way to express a time span, meaning when something starts and ends.
It’s equivalent to the English “from … to …”.
You’ll often see it in schedules, business emails, or daily conversations, whenever you need to clearly define a time range.
Examples:
Neither “von” nor “bis” requires an article, and they don’t change the case of the words that follow them.
This means the nouns remain in their base form — no case endings or declension changes.
The main rule is simple:
Sometimes, especially in formal or official contexts, an article or extra preposition may appear after “bis”.
For example:
It’s equivalent to the English “from … to …”.
You’ll often see it in schedules, business emails, or daily conversations, whenever you need to clearly define a time range.
Examples:
- von Montag bis Freitag – from Monday to Friday
- von 8 bis 12 Uhr – from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Neither “von” nor “bis” requires an article, and they don’t change the case of the words that follow them.
This means the nouns remain in their base form — no case endings or declension changes.
The main rule is simple:
- “von” marks the beginning of the period
- “bis” marks the end
- Avoid switching their order, or you may confuse the meaning.
- von Januar bis März – from January to March
- von 1990 bis 2005 – from 1990 to 2005
Sometimes, especially in formal or official contexts, an article or extra preposition may appear after “bis”.
For example:
- bis zum Abend – until the evening
- bis zur Pause – until the break
- This depends on sentence structure and meaning.
The German preposition “am” is used when referring to days of the week, specific calendar dates, or parts of the day.
It answers the question “When?” and always takes the dative case — which is important to remember when forming correct sentences.
Classic examples:
If you want to say something happens on a specific day or time of day, “am” is probably the right choice.
But there’s an exception:
When talking about nighttime, you don’t say “am Nacht” — you say:
You can remember it using this rule of thumb:
day / date / time of day → “am” + dative
This rule is consistent and helps avoid mistakes in everyday usage.
Now, the preposition “um” is used to indicate an exact time.
It answers the question “At what time?”, and is used when referring to a specific moment — an hour, a minute, or a fixed schedule.
Examples:
The key difference between “am” and “um” is this:
If you mean a specific time, use “um”.
These are two different points on the time scale, and mixing them up can confuse your listener — especially in formal or professional contexts.
So using these prepositions correctly is important not just for grammar, but for clear communication.
It answers the question “When?” and always takes the dative case — which is important to remember when forming correct sentences.
Classic examples:
- am Montag – on Monday
- am 10. Mai – on May 10
- am Morgen – in the morning
If you want to say something happens on a specific day or time of day, “am” is probably the right choice.
But there’s an exception:
When talking about nighttime, you don’t say “am Nacht” — you say:
- in der Nacht – at night
- This is just something to memorize as a fixed expression.
You can remember it using this rule of thumb:
day / date / time of day → “am” + dative
This rule is consistent and helps avoid mistakes in everyday usage.
Now, the preposition “um” is used to indicate an exact time.
It answers the question “At what time?”, and is used when referring to a specific moment — an hour, a minute, or a fixed schedule.
Examples:
- Der Zug kommt um 14 Uhr – The train arrives at 2:00 p.m.
- Here, it’s important to know that “um” does not require a case, because it simply precedes a time expression.
- um Mitternacht – at midnight
- Even though there’s no number here, it’s still a precise point in time, so “um” is correct.
The key difference between “am” and “um” is this:
- “am” is used for a day, date, or part of the day
- “um” is used for an exact time on the clock
- am Dienstag – on Tuesday
- um 9 Uhr – at 9 o’clock
If you mean a specific time, use “um”.
These are two different points on the time scale, and mixing them up can confuse your listener — especially in formal or professional contexts.
So using these prepositions correctly is important not just for grammar, but for clear communication.
The German preposition “seit” is used to indicate that an action began in the past and is still continuing.
It answers the question “Seit wann?” – “Since when?”, which is key to using it correctly.
For example:
It can be used with specific years, but also with days of the week, seasons, exact times, or durations.
Examples:
It’s important to remember:
“seit” only works with actions that are still happening at the time of speaking.
If you want to say you’ve worked at a company since 2018 and are still there, this is a perfect use case:
“Seit” is one of the most frequently used time prepositions in German, especially in spoken language.
So don’t just memorize the form — start using it in your own sentences as early as possible.
That’s the best way to make it feel natural and fully integrate it into your language use.
It answers the question “Seit wann?” – “Since when?”, which is key to using it correctly.
For example:
- Ich wohne hier seit 2020 – “I’ve been living here since 2020”
- This highlights that the person moved in then and still lives there now.
It can be used with specific years, but also with days of the week, seasons, exact times, or durations.
Examples:
- seit Montag – since Monday
- seit dem Sommer – since (the) summer
- seit einer Stunde – for an hour (already)
It’s important to remember:
“seit” only works with actions that are still happening at the time of speaking.
If you want to say you’ve worked at a company since 2018 and are still there, this is a perfect use case:
- Ich arbeite hier seit 2018 – “I’ve been working here since 2018”
“Seit” is one of the most frequently used time prepositions in German, especially in spoken language.
So don’t just memorize the form — start using it in your own sentences as early as possible.
That’s the best way to make it feel natural and fully integrate it into your language use.
Time prepositions are one of the most important and foundational topics in German grammar.
Even beginners encounter them daily — in conversations, reading messages, filling out forms, or planning meetings.
Their role is hard to overstate: you simply can’t express when something happens without them.
German offers a wide system of time prepositions. Each one has a specific function and follows clear grammatical rules.
For example, the preposition um is used to indicate an exact point in time, usually an hour:
One of the most common is seit, which indicates something that began in the past and is still continuing:
This isn’t just a formal rule — it directly affects the grammatical accuracy and clarity of your sentence.
As mentioned before:
For example, mixing up seit and für can lead to misunderstanding:
The more real examples you see, the easier it is to spot the patterns.
It’s very helpful to watch films, listen to dialogues, read texts, and pay attention to how native speakers use them — this sharpens both your ear and your grammar instincts.
This section focuses on the most commonly used time prepositions in German.
It explores where they are used, how they are constructed, and what challenges they might present.
This way, you don’t just memorize a form — you gain a deeper understanding of how each structure functions.
As a result, you begin to use prepositions with awareness and precision, bringing your German closer to native-level usage, not only grammatically, but also intuitively.
Even beginners encounter them daily — in conversations, reading messages, filling out forms, or planning meetings.
Their role is hard to overstate: you simply can’t express when something happens without them.
German offers a wide system of time prepositions. Each one has a specific function and follows clear grammatical rules.
For example, the preposition um is used to indicate an exact point in time, usually an hour:
- um 14 Uhr – “at 2:00 p.m.”
- This preposition is essential when talking about schedules, plans, or appointments.
- am Freitag – “on Friday”
- am 10. Juni – “on June 10”
- They help clarify exactly when something happens.
One of the most common is seit, which indicates something that began in the past and is still continuing:
- seit drei Jahren – “for three years”
- These structures are especially important when talking about personal experience, work history, or long-term processes.
This isn’t just a formal rule — it directly affects the grammatical accuracy and clarity of your sentence.
As mentioned before:
- seit requires the dative:
- seit einem Monat – “for a month”
- Using the accusative by mistake would sound unnatural or incorrect.
- für zwei Wochen – “for two weeks”
For example, mixing up seit and für can lead to misunderstanding:
- seit einer Woche means the action is still happening.
- für eine Woche means the action will or did last a week and then stopped.
The more real examples you see, the easier it is to spot the patterns.
It’s very helpful to watch films, listen to dialogues, read texts, and pay attention to how native speakers use them — this sharpens both your ear and your grammar instincts.
This section focuses on the most commonly used time prepositions in German.
It explores where they are used, how they are constructed, and what challenges they might present.
This way, you don’t just memorize a form — you gain a deeper understanding of how each structure functions.
As a result, you begin to use prepositions with awareness and precision, bringing your German closer to native-level usage, not only grammatically, but also intuitively.
Common Mistakes and Memory Tips
When learning German time prepositions, it’s very easy to get confused.
Many prepositions sound similar or have close meanings, and each one has its own case requirements and usage context.
Common mistake #1: Choosing the wrong preposition
For example, beginners often say im Montag, when the correct form is am Montag.
Here’s a simple logic to remember:
Some learners forget that prepositions like seit, vor, ab, am, im, nach
always take the dative case (Dativ).
Meanwhile, für takes the accusative case (Akkusativ).
This is essential for building grammatically correct sentences.
Examples:
Especially with seit and vor.
A simple rule to help:
Real phrases stick better than lists.
Here are some useful expressions to study and repeat:
The more you see them, the faster you’ll remember them.
And most importantly:
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
Mistakes are part of the learning process.
With each try, you’ll feel more confident using the right preposition.
Many prepositions sound similar or have close meanings, and each one has its own case requirements and usage context.
Common mistake #1: Choosing the wrong preposition
For example, beginners often say im Montag, when the correct form is am Montag.
Here’s a simple logic to remember:
- If you’re talking about a day of the week or a specific date → use am
- If it’s a month, season, or general period → use im
- If it’s an exact time → use um
Some learners forget that prepositions like seit, vor, ab, am, im, nach
always take the dative case (Dativ).
Meanwhile, für takes the accusative case (Akkusativ).
This is essential for building grammatically correct sentences.
Examples:
- für zwei Wochen – for two weeks (accusative)
- seit zwei Wochen – for two weeks already (dative)
Especially with seit and vor.
A simple rule to help:
- Use seit when the action started in the past and is still happening
- Ich wohne hier seit 2021 – I’ve lived here since 2021 (and I still do)
- Use vor when the action already ended
- Ich bin vor einem Jahr umgezogen – I moved a year ago
Real phrases stick better than lists.
Here are some useful expressions to study and repeat:
- am Montag
- um 9 Uhr
- seit 2022
- für drei Tage
- von Januar bis März
- vor zwei Wochen
The more you see them, the faster you’ll remember them.
And most importantly:
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
Mistakes are part of the learning process.
With each try, you’ll feel more confident using the right preposition.
Practice Exercises
To truly learn time prepositions, knowing the theory is not enough.
You need regular practice — and the more varied, the better.
Here are a few simple exercises to help you solidify your understanding:
1. Fill in the prepositions:
Der Film beginnt ___ 20 Uhr.
Wir treffen uns ___ Freitag.
Ich bin ___ einer Woche in Berlin.
Die Ferien sind ___ August.
(Answers: um, am, seit, im)
2. Translate into German:
— The class starts at 8 o’clock.
— I’ve been living here since April.
— We left three days ago.
— He works from Monday to Wednesday.
(Hints: um 8 Uhr, seit April, vor drei Tagen, von Montag bis Mittwoch)
3. Make your own examples
Write one sentence from your own life with each of the following prepositions:
am, im, um, seit, vor, ab, für, von … bis, nach
Examples:
— Ich stehe am Samstag früh auf.
— Wir fliegen im Juli ans Meer.
— Der Unterricht beginnt um 9 Uhr.
— Ich arbeite seit 2020 in dieser Firma.
— Vor einem Monat war ich krank.
— Ab Montag beginnt der Kurs.
— Ich bleibe für zwei Wochen in Berlin.
— Die Ausstellung ist von Dienstag bis Freitag geöffnet.
— Nach dem Essen gehen wir spazieren.
The more often you build sentences like these, the more naturally you’ll use the correct time prepositions — clearly and confidently.
You need regular practice — and the more varied, the better.
Here are a few simple exercises to help you solidify your understanding:
1. Fill in the prepositions:
Der Film beginnt ___ 20 Uhr.
Wir treffen uns ___ Freitag.
Ich bin ___ einer Woche in Berlin.
Die Ferien sind ___ August.
(Answers: um, am, seit, im)
2. Translate into German:
— The class starts at 8 o’clock.
— I’ve been living here since April.
— We left three days ago.
— He works from Monday to Wednesday.
(Hints: um 8 Uhr, seit April, vor drei Tagen, von Montag bis Mittwoch)
3. Make your own examples
Write one sentence from your own life with each of the following prepositions:
am, im, um, seit, vor, ab, für, von … bis, nach
Examples:
— Ich stehe am Samstag früh auf.
— Wir fliegen im Juli ans Meer.
— Der Unterricht beginnt um 9 Uhr.
— Ich arbeite seit 2020 in dieser Firma.
— Vor einem Monat war ich krank.
— Ab Montag beginnt der Kurs.
— Ich bleibe für zwei Wochen in Berlin.
— Die Ausstellung ist von Dienstag bis Freitag geöffnet.
— Nach dem Essen gehen wir spazieren.
The more often you build sentences like these, the more naturally you’ll use the correct time prepositions — clearly and confidently.
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