Breakdown of Um Mitternacht schlafen wir meistens.
wir
we
schlafen
to sleep
um
at (time)
meistens
mostly / usually
Questions & Answers about Um Mitternacht schlafen wir meistens.
Why do we use um with Mitternacht?
In German, you use the preposition um to say "at" a specific time on the clock, like um acht Uhr (at eight o'clock). Because Mitternacht (midnight) is exactly 12:00 AM, it acts like a specific clock time, so we say um Mitternacht.
Why are the verb and subject swapped as schlafen wir instead of wir schlafen?
In German main sentences, the conjugated verb must always be the second idea. Because the time phrase Um Mitternacht takes up the first spot, the verb schlafen must come right after it. The subject wir is then pushed to the other side of the verb.
How is the word Mitternacht formed?
It is a combination of two words: Mitte (middle) and Nacht (night). So it literally translates to "middle-night"!
Can I put meistens at the beginning of the sentence instead?
Yes, you can! If you say Meistens schlafen wir um Mitternacht, you are emphasizing the word "usually". Just remember that the verb schlafen must stay in the second position, right after Meistens.