Mein Alltag: telling the time, prepositions ‘um’, ‘seit’ and ‘vor’
I can use a range of prepositions and times to talk about past and present events and routines with precision.
Mein Alltag: telling the time, prepositions ‘um’, ‘seit’ and ‘vor’
I can use a range of prepositions and times to talk about past and present events and routines with precision.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons
Key learning points
- Use the 12 hour or the 24 hour clock to tell the time in German. Use 'um' to say ‘at’ with clock times.
- 'Um' can also mean ‘around’ or ‘approximately’ when used with numbers, and is normally followed by the definite article.
- When referring to a place, 'um' means ‘around’ and is always followed by the accusative case.
- 'Seit' is used with present tense to express an unfinished action started in the past. It can mean ‘since’ or ‘for’.
- 'Vor' + length of time is used with past tense to say how long ago something happened. Use the dative case.
Keywords
Um - preposition meaning ‘at’ with clock times and ‘around’ with places, used with the accusative case
Seit - preposition meaning ‘since’ or ‘for’, followed by the dative case
Vor - preposition meaning ‘ago’, followed by the dative case
Accusative - case used for the direct object in a sentence, after most verbs and some prepositions
Dative - case used for the indirect object in a sentence and after a dative verb or preposition
Common misconception
'Um' always means 'at' and is used with clock times.
Whilst 'um' is used commonly with clock times to mean 'at', it can also mean 'around' when referring to places, e.g., 'around the corner', or 'about, approximately' with numbers, e.g., 'about 10km'. It also follows some verbs, e.g., 'es geht um'.
Equipment
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
quarter to
quarter past
half (to)
ten past
twenty-five to
five to
to work, go smoothly
to separate, separating
to hide, hiding
to consider, think about, think of
to move, moving
to treat, treating
individual, individually
as soon as
as long as
since then
personal
after
Exit quiz
6 Questions
to be about, being about
to exercise, exercising
Sorry! Excuse me!
courtyard, farm
appointment, date
to surprise, surprising