Day 4: Days of the week, telling time and verbs
Overview
Self-Study Topic | Duration: 25–30 minutes
Level: Absolute Beginner
OBJECTIVE
By the end of this topic, you will be able to:
✔ Name the days of the week.
✔ Ask for and tell the time in German.
✔ Conjugate new common verbs (including some with vowel changes).
CONTENT
1. Self-check
Regular self-testing helps retain new knowledge and skills. Before proceeding with the new topic, check what you have learned so far.
Questions and answers
Match questions and answers:
Word order
Rearrange the words to form correct statements and questions.
Verb forms (verb conjugation in the present tense)
Listen to our educational song and sing Along
2. Learn the Days of the Week
Step 1: The Vocabulary
- In German, the days of the week are masculine (der).
- They are often used with the word am (on).
Study the table below.
| German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Montag | MOHN-tahk | Monday |
| Dienstag | DEENS-tahk | Tuesday |
| Mittwoch | MIT-vokh | Wednesday |
| Donnerstag | DON-ers-tahk | Thursday |
| Freitag | FRY-tahk | Friday |
| Samstag / Sonnabend | ZAMS-tahk / ZON-ah-bent | Saturday |
| Sonntag | ZON-tahk | Sunday |
Key Phrases:
- am Montag (on Monday)
- von Montag bis Freitag (from Monday to Friday)
- Wochenende (weekend), am Wochenende (during the weekend)
Step 2: Practice
- Listen & Repeat: Use the audio clip above to practice pronunciation.
- Your Week: Write down three things you do this week (e.g., Ich lerne English am Freitag.). Below are some useful phrases. Remember the proper word order (SVO) and verb conjugation (“ich” comes with the ending -e).
- Fußball spielen – to play football
- Gitarre spielen – to play the guitar
- Freunde besuchen – to visit friends
- Deutsch lernen – to learn German
- Bücher lesen – to read books
- ins Kino gehen – to go to the cinema
- Listen & Fill in the Blanks: Listen to the audio clip and fill in the blanks in the text below.
3. Telling Time
Step 1: Key Questions
- Wie spät ist es? / Wie viel Uhr ist es? (What time is it?)
Step 2: How to Answer
Full Hour:
- Es ist ein Uhr. (It is one o’clock.)
- Es ist drei Uhr. (It is three o’clock.)
With Minutes:
- “Hour + Minutes” (like in English):
- Es ist zwei Uhr zehn. (It is 2:10.)
- “Minutes + after/past + Hour” (common):
- Es ist zehn nach zwei. (It is ten past two.)
- “Minutes + to/before + Hour” (common):
- Es ist zwanzig vor drei. (It is twenty to three.)
Special Words:
- halb = half (meaning half to the next hour)
- Es ist halb drei. (It is 2:30. Literally: “It is half to three.”)
- Viertel nach = quarter past
- Es ist Viertel nach drei. (It is a quarter past three.)
- Viertel vor = quarter to
- Es ist Viertel vor vier. (It is a quarter to four.)
Step 3: Practice
Exercise 1
Listen to the recording below, and look at the sentences in Steps 1 and 2. Then listen again, pause the recording, and repeat the sentences.
Exercise 2
Tell time in German using the clock below. You can do it in two ways (see below). You can also record yourself.
- Digital: Es ist neunzehn Uhr vierzig. (19:40)
- Analogue: Es ist zwanzig vor zwanzig. (19:40)
4. More Present Tense Verbs
Step 1: Regular (Weak) Verbs
These follow the pattern you learned in Day 3.
| Pronoun | machen (to do/make) | spielen (to play) | arbeiten (to work) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | mach-e | spiel-e | arbeit-e |
| du | mach-st | spiel-st | arbeit-e-st |
| er/sie/es | mach-t | spiel-t | arbeit-e-t |
| wir | mach-en | spiel-en | arbeit-en |
| ihr | mach-t | spiel-t | arbeit-e-t |
| Sie/sie | mach-en | spiel-en | arbeit-en |
Note: Verbs ending in -t or -d (like arbeiten) add an -e- before the -st and -t endings for easier pronunciation.
Step 2: Common STRONG Verbs with Vowel Changes
These verbs change their stem vowel in the du and er/sie/es forms. This is a common pattern in German that you need to memorize.
| Pronoun | lesen (to read) | sehen (to see) | essen (to eat) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | lese | sehe | esse |
| du | liest | siehst | isst |
| er / sie / es | liest | sieht | isst |
| wir | lesen | sehen | essen |
| ihr | lest | seht | esst |
| Sie / sie | lesen | sehen | essen |
Key Patterns & Pronunciation Tips:
- lesen: The e changes to ie (eeh) in the 2nd and 3rd person singular.
- Du liest ein Buch. (You read a book.)
- sehen: The e changes to ie (eeh) in the 2nd and 3rd person singular. Note the -h- in du siehst is silent; it’s only there to keep the sound long.
- Er sieht einen Film. (He sees a film.)
- essen: The e changes to i (short ih) in the 2nd and 3rd person singular. Note the double -ss- in du isst.
- Was isst du? (What are you eating?)
Step 3: Practice
Exercise 1
- Listen to the recording, pause, and repeat the verb conjugations.
- Then record yourself reading the verb conjugations in the tables above.
Exercise 2
Listen to our educational song and sing Along
5. Homework & Preview FOR TOMORROW
Homework
- Writing: Write your weekly schedule (3 sentences: Am Montag arbeite ich. Am Dienstag spiele ich Fußball.).
- Listening: Watch our song about daily routines and sing along.
- Speaking: Record yourself saying what time it is right now and three times of day (e.g., 9:00, 12:30, 7:15).
PREVIEW
Tomorrow, you’ll be putting together what you have learned so far.
Next week, we’ll learn about nouns and articles. You will also learn how to talk about rooms and furniture.
Knowing the days and time lets you make plans and talk about your life.
word of encouragement
You’re building real conversational skills!