Breakdown of Um fünf machen wir Schluss.
fünf
five
um
at (time)
Schluss machen
to finish, to call it a day
Questions & Answers about Um fünf machen wir Schluss.
Why is the verb machen before the subject wir?
In German, the conjugated verb must always be in the second position of a regular sentence. Because the time phrase Um fünf takes up the first position, the verb machen comes right after it, pushing the subject wir to the third position.
Does Schluss machen always mean to finish working?
It is a very common phrase for finishing a task, ending the workday, or calling it a day. However, it is also the standard phrase for breaking up with a romantic partner! Context usually makes it clear which one you mean.
Why do we use um to mean 'at' in this sentence?
When you are talking about specific clock times in German, you always use the preposition um. So um fünf simply means at five o'clock.
How would I add a sequence word like dann (then) or schließlich (finally) to this sentence?
You can put the sequence word at the very beginning. Because the verb must stay in the second position, the time phrase moves later in the sentence. For example: Dann machen wir um fünf Schluss. (Then we finish at five.)
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