Die Uhr zeigt acht Uhr morgens, und ich muss jetzt los.

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Breakdown of Die Uhr zeigt acht Uhr morgens, und ich muss jetzt los.

• ich: I
• jetzt: now
• müssen: must
• die Uhr: the clock
• zeigen: to show
• acht: eight
• der Morgen: the morning

Questions & Answers about Die Uhr zeigt acht Uhr morgens, und ich muss jetzt los.

Why does the sentence use morgens instead of something like am Morgen or in der Früh?

In German, morgens is a very common adverb that means in the morning. It’s often used alongside clock times to specify morning hours, for example, acht Uhr morgens. You could say am Morgen or in der Früh, but these have a slightly different style or regional usage. Morgens sounds quite natural and is commonly found in everyday speech.

How important is the repetition of Uhr in acht Uhr morgens?

It’s typical in German to say something like acht Uhr (8:00) and then directly follow it with morgens for extra clarity, especially if you’re not using the 24-hour clock. While you could say Die Uhr zeigt acht, adding Uhr and morgens makes it completely clear it’s 8:00 in the morning.

What does the word los mean in this context?

Here, los roughly translates to something like get going or I'm off in English. The phrase ich muss jetzt los means I have to get going now or I have to leave now. It conveys that you need to depart or proceed with your plans.

What tense is being used for muss and why is it used here?

Muss is the first-person singular present tense of müssen (to have to). It’s used here to express an obligation in the present moment (i.e., I must or I have to). It indicates a necessity or requirement that is happening right now.

Is it common to start a sentence with Die Uhr zeigt?

Yes, it can be used that way, though it’s somewhat descriptive. If you were casually speaking, you might just say Es ist acht Uhr morgens, but Die Uhr zeigt is perfectly correct and emphasizes the clock’s display. It’s a more literal way of saying The clock shows eight o’clock in the morning.