German Prepositions of time (Temporale Präpositionen)

Learning how to talk about time in German is essential for everyday communication. Whether you want to say “at 7 o’clock", “since last year" or “until tomorrow,” you’ll need the correct German time prepositions.

In this article we’ll explain the most important prepositions of time in German (Präpositionen der Zeit), they show you which grammatical case is required (accusative or dative)  and give you examples you can use right away.

What Are Prepositions of Time in German?

Prepositions of time are small words that connect a sentence to a specific point in time (um 10 Uhr – at 10 o’clock), a duration (seit zwei Jahren – for two years), or a time span (von Montag bis Freitag – from Monday to Friday).

This makes learning them crucial for building correct German sentences.

Um – "At" (Clock Times)

• Case: Accusative

• Use: Exact clock times

✅ Examples:

• Wir treffen uns um acht Uhr. (We’re meeting at 8 o’clock.)

• Der Unterricht beginnt um 9:30 Uhr. (The lesson starts at 9:30.)

Am – "On, At" (Days, Dates, Parts of Day)

• Case: Dative (contraction of an + dem)

• Use: Days of the week, calendar dates, parts of the day

✅ Examples:

• Am Montag habe ich frei. (I am free on Monday.)

• Am Abend sehe ich fern. (In the evening I watch TV.)

• Er hat am 5. Mai Geburtstag. (His birthday is on May 5th.)

• Ich reise am ersten Januar. (I am travelling on the first of January.)

Im – "In" (Months, Seasons, Years)

• Case: Dative (contraction of in + dem)

• Use: Longer periods like months, seasons, years

✅ Examples:

• Im Januar schneit es oft. (It often snows in January.)

• Im Sommer fahren viele Leute ans Meer. (In summer many people go to the sea.)

• Er wurde im Jahr 2000 geboren. (He was born in 2000.)

Von … bis … – "from … to …"

• Case: Neutral (no change)

• Use: Defining a time span

✅ Examples:

• Ich arbeite von Montag bis Freitag. (I work from Monday to Friday.)

• Der Kurs dauert von 9 bis 12 Uhr. (The class lasts from 9 to 12 o’clock.)

Ab – "From, Starting (in the future)"

• Case: Dative

• Use: Starting point in time, usually the future

✅ Examples:

• Ab nächste Woche beginnt mein Urlaub. (My vacation starts next week.)

• Der neue Fahrplan gilt ab morgen. (The new timetable is valid from tomorrow.)

Seit – "Since, For" (Ongoing from the past until now)

• Case: Dative

• Use: Duration that started in the past and continues now

✅ Examples:

• Ich lerne Deutsch seit zwei Jahren. (I’ve been learning German for two years.)

• Er wohnt hier seit 2015. (He has lived here since 2015.)

💡 Important: In English you often use the present perfect with “since/for,” but in German you use present tense.

Bis – "Until, Up To"

• Case: Often accusative or dative (depending on context)

• Use: Defines the endpoint in time

✅ Examples:

• Ich bleibe hier bis morgen. (I’ll stay here until tomorrow.)

• Das Geschäft ist bis zum Samstag geöffnet. (The shop is open until Saturday.)

Vor – "Ago, Before"

• Case: Dative

• Use: Past reference (“ago”) or before an event

✅ Examples:

• Wir haben uns vor einer Woche gesehen. (We saw each other a week ago.)

• Vor dem Frühstück trinke ich Kaffee. (Before breakfast I drink coffee.)

Nach – "After"

• Case: Dative

• Use: Refers to events following another

✅ Examples:

• Nach der Arbeit gehe ich ins Fitnessstudio. (After work I go to the gym.)

• Nach dem Abendessen machen wir einen Spaziergang. (After dinner we take a walk.)

Für (for) as a Time Expression

• Case: Accusative

• Meaning: for (a duration of time)

• Use: To express how long something lasts (but only when it’s a planned or intended time period, not an action that started in the past and is still ongoing).

✅ Examples:

• Ich bleibe für zwei Wochen in Berlin. (I’m staying in Berlin for two weeks.)

• Wir fahren für ein Wochenende nach Hamburg. (We are going to Hamburg for a weekend.)

• Er hat das Auto für einen Monat gemietet. (He rented the car for a month.)

👉 Important difference:

• seit = "since/for" (ongoing from past until now) → Ich lebe seit drei Jahren hier. = I have lived here for three years (and still do).

• für = "for (a limited period)" (planned duration, not necessarily ongoing) → Ich bleibe hier für drei Jahre. = I will stay here for three years.

German Prepositions of Time Chart

When Do Time Prepositions Take Dative or Accusative?

Accusative with fixed points or durations (endpoints)

Some time prepositions (like um, für, bis) focus on a specific point in time or a defined period.
That’s why they take the accusative case — it’s like marking a target or endpoint.

• um → at a precise time

  • Der Zug fährt um 8 Uhr ab. (at 8 o’clock – exact point)

• für → for a defined period (intended duration)

  • Ich bleibe für zwei Wochen hier. (for 2 weeks – whole duration is defined)

• bis → until a certain moment

  • Ich warte bis nächsten Montag. (until next Monday – clear endpoint)

Dative with positions in time (location on the timeline)

Many time prepositions (like am, im, seit, nach, vor, ab) describe a position or reference point on the timeline.
They take dative, because dative is the “static” case in German — it answers Wo? (Where?) → and in time, it means Wann? (When?).

• am → on a day or date (position on the calendar)

  • Wir treffen uns am Montag. (on Monday)

• im → in a month/season/year (time location)

  • Er kommt im Juni. (in June)

• seit → since/for, something that started and still continues

  • Ich wohne hier seit drei Jahren. (for 3 years – reference point from the past until now)

• nach → after (reference to another event)

  • Nach der Arbeit gehe ich nach Hause. (after work – relative position)

• vor → ago/before (reference to an earlier point)

  • Vor einer Woche habe ich ihn getroffen. (a week ago)

• ab → from, starting at (reference point in future)

  • Der Kurs beginnt ab Montag. (starting Monday)

Why is this so? (The logic behind cases in time expressions)

German cases often reflect space metaphors:

• Accusative = movement towards something (goal, endpoint, span to be crossed).

• Dative = position (being "at" a certain place in time).

Applied to time:

• Accusative: You move to a certain time or you define a whole block (e.g., für eine Woche, um 8 Uhr, bis morgen).

• Dative: You are located at a point in time (e.g., am Montag, im Winter, seit einem Jahr, nach der Arbeit).

Everyday Life with German Time Prepositions (Zeitpräpositionen)