Yesterday, we were out and I asked Rio what time it was. Even though we were speaking English, he answered in German style. After four years here, this can still throw me in German; I often miss the next sentence spoken as I calculate the time in my head. Hearing it in English threw me for quite the loop! I guess it makes sense, Rio had just turned 10 when we moved ,here so keeping track of the time was still not something he did often. He's really only had experience with that in Germany.
So, what do I mean "German style" anyway? I mean those things we say when we aren't just giving the straight answer. If it is 4:15 and you say that it's a quarter past four instead of saying it's four fifteen. Germans would actually say that one the same as we do; it's viertal noch vier. After that it gets a bit harder.
5:30. This is half past five to us English speakers. Similarly, it is cinco y media (five and a half) in Spanish. However, when speaking German my mind has to work backwards--it is halb sechs (half six). Sadly, this can still trip me up and I run a real risk of being an hour late because when I hear "six" and "half" together, my brain wants to go with half past six, not half way to six as the Germans would say.
6:45. This one is trickier yet. Whereas at the half hour mark we look ahead to the next hour in German, when we get to the 45 minute mark (one at which American would look ahead and say it is a quarter to seven), the Germans make an about face and go back to using the previous hour as a benchmark. Six fourty-five in Germany is drie viertel noch sechs (three fourths past six).
7:35. This is the most confusing for me (or, conversely 7:25). In fact, this is the time that Rio gave me yesterday. How do you think the Germans would say it?
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If you guessed "five after half eight" (funf noch halb acht) you deserve a god star!
Whatever time it is when you read this--I hope it is a GOOD time for you.
--Hadley
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