Questions & Answers about Wie spät ist es?
Why does the German sentence say Wie spät (how late) instead of asking for the "time"?
In German, the most common way to ask for the time translates literally to "How late is it?" (Wie spät ist es?). You cannot directly translate "what time" to ask this question in German.
Is there another common way to ask what time it is?
Yes! You will also frequently hear Wie viel Uhr ist es?, which translates literally to "How much clock is it?". Both Wie spät ist es? and Wie viel Uhr ist es? are perfectly natural and mean exactly the same thing.
How do I start my answer to this question?
Just like in English, you start your answer with "It is..." which is Es ist... in German. For example, you would reply with Es ist drei Uhr (It is three o'clock).
Does spät always mean "late" outside of this question?
Yes, as a normal vocabulary word, spät means "late". For example, Es ist zu spät means "It is too late". It is only when combined into the fixed phrase Wie spät... that it simply asks for the current time.