German Phrase
Der Zauberer tritt um sieben auf.
Meaning
The sentence tells the listener that the magician will make his appearance at seven o'clock. It is a concise way to announce the start time of a magic show or any performance involving a magician.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to inform an audience, friends, or colleagues about the exact time a magician’s act begins – for example in a theater program, a party invitation, or a casual conversation about the evening’s entertainment.
✦Grammar Breakdown
DerZauberertrittumsiebenauf
Definite article (Der)
‘Der’ is the masculine nominative singular article, matching ‘Zauberer’ as the subject.
Noun (Zauberer)
‘Zauberer’ is a masculine noun meaning ‘magician’; in the nominative case it stays unchanged.
Separable verb (auftreten → tritt … auf)
‘auftreten’ splits in the present tense: the stem ‘tritt’ stays in second position, the prefix ‘auf’ moves to the end of the clause.
Time expression with ‘um’
‘um’ + accusative is the standard way to state a clock time; the number ‘sieben’ is indeclinable here.
Cardinal number (sieben)
When used with ‘um’, the number functions as a time indicator and does not take an article.
🗨In Conversation
Um wie viel Uhr beginnt die Vorstellung?
At what time does the show start?
Der Zauberer tritt um sieben auf.
The magician appears at seven.
✕Common Mistakes
Der Zauberer ist um sieben.
‘sein’ is not used to express a performance start; use the verb ‘auftreten’ (or its split form).
Der Zauberer auftreten um sieben.
In a main clause the separable prefix must move to the end.
Der Zauberer tritt um sieben ein.
‘ein‑treten’ means ‘to enter’ a place, not to appear on stage.
Der Zauberer tritt um sieben Uhr auf.
When ‘um’ already introduces the time, adding ‘Uhr’ is redundant in spoken German.
↔Alternatives
Der Magier erscheint um sieben.
The magician appears at seven.
Der Zauberer kommt um sieben.
The magician comes at seven.
Um sieben Uhr tritt der Zauberer auf.
At seven o’clock the magician appears.
Cultural Tip
In German, clock times are always introduced with ‘um’ followed by the accusative (e.g., ‘um sieben’). Separable verbs like ‘auftreten’ split in main clauses – the prefix moves to the end, which can feel odd to English speakers. In formal announcements you’ll often see the time placed before the verb (e.g., ‘Um sieben Uhr tritt der Zauberer auf.’).