German Phrase
Es ist fünf nach drei.
Meaning
The sentence means 'It is five past three.' It tells the exact time by stating the minutes that have passed after the hour.
When to use
Use this phrase whenever you need to give the time in everyday conversation, whether you’re meeting a friend, catching a train, or answering a phone call. It works in both informal and semi‑formal settings.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Esistfünfnachdrei
Impersonal 'es'
German often uses the impersonal pronoun 'es' to talk about time, weather, and other general statements.
'nach' with time
'nach' means 'past' when used with minutes; the structure is minutes + 'nach' + hour.
Number agreement
Numbers used for minutes stay in their cardinal form (fünf, zehn, zwanzig) and do not change.
Hour without 'Uhr'
In casual speech you can drop 'Uhr' after the hour when using the 'nach' construction.
🗨In Conversation
Wie spät ist es?
What time is it?
Es ist fünf nach drei.
It’s five past three.
✕Common Mistakes
Es ist nach drei fünf.
The order must be minutes first, then 'nach', then the hour.
Es ist fünf nach drei Uhr.
Adding 'Uhr' after the hour in the 'nach' construction is redundant.
Es ist drei nach fünf.
This reverses the hour and minutes; it would mean 'It is three past five', which is incorrect for 3:05.
↔Alternatives
Es ist drei Uhr fünf.
It is three o’clock five.
Es ist fünf Minuten nach drei.
It is five minutes past three.
Drei Uhr fünf.
Three o’clock five.
Cultural Tip
German speakers often use two ways to tell time: the 'nach' construction (e.g., fünf nach drei) and the 'Uhr' construction (e.g., drei Uhr fünf). In formal contexts, especially on timetables and in business, the 24‑hour clock is preferred, so you would say 'fünf nach drei' as '15:05'. In casual conversation, dropping 'Uhr' after the hour is perfectly natural.