German Phrase
Wie spät ist es?
Meaning
Literally ‘How late is it?’, this is the most common way to ask ‘What time is it?’ in everyday German. It is a neutral, informal question suitable for any setting.
When to use
Use this phrase whenever you need to know the current time – on the street, in a café, at work, or while traveling. It works in both casual and semi‑formal contexts; adding ‘Entschuldigung’ makes it extra polite.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Wiespätistes?
Wie (question word)
‘Wie’ introduces a ‘how’ question; here it asks ‘how (late)’. It always starts a question and is followed by the verb.
spät (adverb)
‘spät’ means ‘late’; in this fixed expression it functions as the adjective‑like adverb ‘how late’.
ist (sein – present)
The verb ‘sein’ (to be) is conjugated for the third‑person singular ‘es’. In time‑questions German uses the verb ‘sein’ rather than ‘haben’.
es (dummy subject)
German uses the impersonal pronoun ‘es’ as the subject when asking about the time, similar to English ‘it’ in ‘What time is it?’
🗨In Conversation
Wie spät ist es?
What time is it?
Es ist drei Uhr.
It’s three o’clock.
✕Common Mistakes
Wie spät ist du?
The subject of the sentence must be the impersonal ‘es’, not ‘du’. ‘Wie spät ist du?’ is ungrammatical.
Wie spät haben wir?
German uses ‘sein’ for time questions, not ‘haben’. The correct form is ‘Wie spät ist es?’ or ‘Wie viel Uhr ist es?’
↔Alternatives
Wie viel Uhr ist es?
What time is it?
Entschuldigung, wie spät ist es?
Excuse me, what time is it?
Können Sie mir die Uhrzeit sagen?
Could you tell me the time?
Cultural Tip
In German‑speaking countries the 24‑hour clock is the norm, especially on timetables and official signs. When you answer, you’ll often hear the hour followed by ‘Uhr’ (e.g., ‘fünf Uhr’). Adding ‘Uhr’ is optional in casual speech, but it sounds more natural. If you need to be extra polite, start with ‘Entschuldigung’ or ‘Entschuldigen Sie bitte’.