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Temporal preposition 'um' (at, clock time)
Temporale Präposition 'um' (Uhrzeit)
'um' (at) is used with clock times.
Structure
um + Uhrzeit
um + clock time
Details
- Part of Speech
- Preposition
- Word Type
- Temporal preposition
- Register
- Standard
Explanation
Use 'um' to give an exact clock time - it answers the question Um wie viel Uhr? (At what time?).
- Der Film beginnt um acht Uhr. - The film starts at eight o'clock.
- Der Zug fährt um halb neun. - The train leaves at half past eight.
- Wir essen um Viertel nach eins. - We eat at a quarter past one.
For an approximate time use gegen instead: gegen acht Uhr (around eight). For a time span use von ... bis: von acht bis zehn (from eight to ten).
Common mistakes:
- Confusing the time um with the spatial um (around something, + ). With clock times, um needs no : um acht Uhr.
- Using am or im for clock times - it is always um for the exact hour.
About Temporal preposition 'um' (at, clock time)
'um' (at) is used with clock times.
Use 'um' for exact clock times: um 8 Uhr, um halb neun.
'um' steht bei Uhrzeiten.
Caution
Time 'um' answers 'Um wie viel Uhr?': um acht Uhr. Don't confuse with spatial 'um' (around).