Breakdown of Die Tankstelle macht erst um sechs Uhr auf.
sechs
six
um
at (time)
die Uhr
the clock / o'clock
aufmachen
to open (everyday: mach auf!)
erst
only, not until; first
die Tankstelle
the petrol station
Questions & Answers about Die Tankstelle macht erst um sechs Uhr auf.
Why does this sentence use erst instead of nur for "only"?
When talking about time or a sequence of events, German uses erst to mean "only" in the sense of "not until." If you used nur here (nur um sechs Uhr), it would mean the station opens at six o'clock and at absolutely no other time, rather than meaning it won't open until six.
Why is the word auf at the very end of the sentence?
It belongs to the verb aufmachen (to open). Because it is a separable verb, the prefix auf separates from the conjugated main verb (macht) and gets pushed to the very end of the clause.
Could I use öffnen instead of aufmachen here?
Yes! Die Tankstelle öffnet erst um sechs Uhr is perfectly correct and means the exact same thing. aufmachen is simply the more common, conversational way to say "to open" in everyday German, whereas öffnen sounds slightly more formal.
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