In this lesson, students will learn essential German vocabulary related to numbers, days of the week, and telling time. This foundational knowledge will allow students to handle basic tasks like telling the time, discussing schedules, and understanding dates.

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Count from 1 to 100 in German.
2. Name the days of the week and understand their pronunciation.
3. Tell and ask for the time using both formal and informal expressions.

Lesson Content

1. German Numbers

Basic Numbers (1-12)

Numbers from 13-20

German numbers from 13 to 19 follow a similar pattern:

• dreizehn (13) – “dry-tsayn”
• vierzehn (14) – “feer-tsayn”
• fünfzehn (15) – “fuenf-tsayn”
• sechzehn (16) – “zech-tsayn”
• siebzehn (17) – “zeeb-tsayn”
• achtzehn (18) – “ahkt-tsayn”
• neunzehn (19) – “noyn-tsayn”
• zwanzig (20) – “tsvahn-tsig”

Counting by Tens (30-100)

German multiples of ten have a regular structure:

• dreißig (30) – “dry-sig”
• vierzig (40) – “feer-tsig”
• fünfzig (50) – “fuenf-tsig”
• sechzig (60) – “zech-tsig”
• siebzig (70) – “zeeb-tsig”
• achtzig (80) – “ahkt-tsig”
• neunzig (90) – “noyn-tsig”
• hundert (100) – “hoon-dert”

Forming Other Numbers

For numbers between 21 and 99, German follows a “unit-first” format, similar to “one-and-twenty” in English.

• 21 – einundzwanzig (one-and-twenty)
• 47 – siebenundvierzig (seven-and-forty)
• 93 – dreiundneunzig (three-and-ninety)

2. Days of the Week

Note: In Germany, the week starts on Monday (Montag).

3. Telling Time in German

Hours and Half Hours

• It’s 1:00 – Es ist ein Uhr (1 Uhr).
• It’s 2:00 – Es ist zwei Uhr (2 Uhr).

For “half past” the hour, German refers to the next hour:

• It’s 1:30 – Es ist halb zwei (half of two).
• It’s 4:30 – Es ist halb fünf (half of five).

Quarter Hours

German uses “quarter before” (Viertel vor) and “quarter after” (Viertel nach) to indicate quarter hours:

• It’s 2:15 – Es ist Viertel nach zwei (quarter after two).
• It’s 2:45 – Es ist Viertel vor drei (quarter before three).

Asking for the Time

• What time is it? – Wie spät ist es? or Wieviel Uhr ist es?
• It’s noon. – Es ist Mittag.
• It’s midnight. – Es ist Mitternacht.

Using 24-Hour Time

In Germany, it’s common to use a 24-hour clock for schedules, especially for public transportation:

• It’s 15:00 – Es ist fünfzehn Uhr (3:00 PM).
• It’s 20:30 – Es ist zwanzig Uhr dreißig (8:30 PM).

4. Practice Exercises

1. Match the Number
   Match the German numbers with their English counterparts:
   • vierzehn – __________
   • sechsunddreißig – __________
   • einundneunzig – __________
2. Fill in the Blanks
   Fill in the blanks with the correct German word:
   • Today is __________ (Friday).
   • Es ist __________ Uhr. (10:00)
3. Speaking Practice: Telling the Time
   Pair up and practice telling each other the time:
   • Example 1: 14:30 (say “Es ist halb drei.”)
   • Example 2: 7:15 (say “Es ist Viertel nach sieben.”)
4. Listening Exercise
   Listen to an audio clip of a German-speaking person giving times for different activities. Note the times mentioned, and repeat them to practice pronunciation.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Incorrect Structure for Numbers Above 20
   • Remember that in German, numbers are stated with the unit first (e.g., 21 is einundzwanzig, not zwanzigeins).
2. Misunderstanding “Half” in Time
   • In German, halb refers to the upcoming hour, not the current one. “Half two” (halb zwei) means 1:30, not 2:30.
3. Confusing Days of the Week
   • Be careful with similar-sounding days, such as Dienstag (Tuesday) and Donnerstag (Thursday).

Lesson Summary

In this lesson, students learned to count, name the days of the week, and tell time in German. This practical knowledge helps students manage daily conversations and understand basic schedules.