German Phrase
Es ist sieben Uhr abends.
Meaning
This sentence means “It’s seven o’clock in the evening.” The structure follows the typical German pattern for telling time, with the dummy subject, the verb, the hour, the word “Uhr”, and finally the time‑of‑day adverb.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to tell someone the exact time after sunset, for example when arranging dinner, meeting friends, or announcing a TV program that starts at 7 p.m.
✦Grammar Breakdown
EsistsiebenUhrabends
Dummy subject "Es"
German often uses the impersonal pronoun "es" as the subject when stating the time.
Verb "sein" (ist)
"sein" is the verb "to be"; in time expressions it appears as "ist" (3rd person singular).
Cardinal number "sieben"
Numbers from one to twelve are used directly before "Uhr" to indicate the hour.
"Uhr" as a time marker
"Uhr" follows the number and literally means "clock"; it is mandatory in formal time statements.
Adverb of time "abends"
"abends" specifies the evening period (roughly 6 p.m.–10 p.m.) and is placed after the time expression.
🗨In Conversation
Es ist sieben Uhr abends.
It’s seven o’clock in the evening.
Perfekt, dann können wir jetzt essen gehen.
Great, then we can go eat now.
✕Common Mistakes
Es ist sieben Uhr am abends.
Do not use "am" before "abends"; the correct phrase is "es ist sieben Uhr abends".
Es ist sieben Uhr nachmittags.
"nachmittags" means "in the afternoon"; 7 p.m. is considered evening.
Es ist sieben Uhr abends (when you mean 19:00).
When using the 24‑hour clock, omit the adverb and say "19 Uhr".
↔Alternatives
Es ist sieben Uhr am Abend.
It’s seven o’clock in the evening.
Jetzt ist es sieben Uhr abends.
Now it’s seven o’clock in the evening.
Cultural Tip
In everyday German, people often use the 24‑hour clock (e.g., "19 Uhr"), but when speaking informally they combine the 12‑hour number with a time‑of‑day adverb like "abends". Avoid mixing the 24‑hour format with "am"/"pm" markers – say "Es ist sieben Uhr abends" or simply "19 Uhr".