Breakdown of Der Bus kommt um Viertel vor neun.
kommen
to come
der Bus
the bus
um
at (time)
Viertel vor
quarter to
Questions & Answers about Der Bus kommt um Viertel vor neun.
Why do we use um to say 'at' in this sentence?
In German, um is the specific word used for exact clock times. Whenever you want to say that something happens 'at' a specific time on the clock, you will always use um, just like in um neun Uhr (at nine o'clock).
Does Viertel vor translate exactly to 'quarter to'?
Yes! Literally, it translates to 'quarter before'. Viertel means 'quarter' and vor means 'before' or 'to' when talking about time. If you wanted to say 'quarter past nine', you would use nach (after/past) and say Viertel nach neun.
Why is Viertel capitalized here?
In German, all nouns (words for people, places, things, or concepts) must be capitalized. Viertel is a noun that literally means 'a quarter' or 'a fourth', so it always gets a capital letter.
Can I use Viertel vor with the 24-hour clock, like 'Viertel vor einundzwanzig' (quarter to twenty-one)?
No, Germans only use conversational time phrases like Viertel vor, Viertel nach, and halb with the 12-hour clock. You just say Viertel vor neun whether it is morning or evening. For the formal 24-hour clock, you would say the exact minutes instead: zwanzig Uhr fünfundvierzig (20:45).
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