Time Expressions: im, am, um, von … bis, seit and ab
Learn which preposition German uses with months, days, dates, clock times, and periods. Distinguish im, am, um, and no preposition, then describe beginnings, endings, and duration.
Explanation
When? im, am, um, or no preposition
| Time expression | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| season, month | **im** | im Frühling, im Oktober |
| weekday, part of the day, date | **am** | am Dienstag, am Nachmittag, am 6. Mai |
| clock time | **um** | um 8 Uhr, um Mitternacht |
| year | **no preposition** | 2018, 2025 |
An important exception is **in der Nacht**. In a full date-and-time expression, combine the forms: **am 6. Mai um 14 Uhr**.
Beginning, end, and duration
- **bis** marks an endpoint: *Die Bibliothek ist bis 19 Uhr geöffnet.*
- **ab** marks a beginning from now or in the future: *Ab Montag arbeite ich wieder.*
- **seit** marks a past beginning that continues until now: *Seit Januar wohnt Lea hier.*
- **vor** means before an event; **nach** means after it: *Vor dem Kurs trinke ich Kaffee. Nach dem Kurs fahre ich nach Hause.*
- **von … bis** connects two expressions without an article: *von Montag bis Freitag, von 9 bis 12 Uhr.*
- **vom … bis zum** is used with expressions that contain an article: *vom 3. bis zum 8. August.*
A noun phrase after **seit, ab, vor, nach** normally stands in the dative. German usually uses the present tense with **seit** when the situation is still true. **Bis** often precedes a time expression without an article; before a noun phrase with an article, German normally uses **bis zu + dative**: *bis zum Freitag*.
Exercises
- Sort the time expressions under im, am, um, or no preposition. (3)
- Complete the short everyday texts with the correct time prepositions from the word bank. (5)
- Use the cue to write a complete sentence with the correct time expression. (11)
A2 · German · Grammar