Adverbs of Time

Q: What are common mistakes with Adverbs of Time?

Ich gehe heute Abend ins Kino → Ich gehe heute Abend ins Kino: Actually correct! 'heute Abend' is a time expression that works as an adverb. Ich bin immer müde → Ich bin immer müde: Correct! 'immer' comes after the verb 'bin'.

Adverbs of time describe when something happens or how often something occurs.

These adverbs answer questions like 'wann?' (when?), 'wie oft?' (how often?), or 'wie lange?' (how long?).

This lesson covers common German adverbs of time and their usage in sentences.

Explanation

Common adverbs of time include: heute (today), gestern (yesterday), morgen (tomorrow), jetzt (now), dann (then).

Frequency adverbs: immer (always), oft (often), manchmal (sometimes), selten (rarely), nie (never).

Adverbs of time usually come early in the sentence, often right after the verb or at the beginning for emphasis.

Time expressions can also be used as adverbs: heute Abend (this evening), nächste Woche (next week).

Common Adverbs of Time

Adverb	Meaning	Example	Translation
heute	today	Ich gehe heute ins Kino.	I'm going to the cinema today.
gestern	yesterday	Er war gestern hier.	He was here yesterday.
morgen	tomorrow	Wir kommen morgen.	We're coming tomorrow.
jetzt	now	Ich mache es jetzt.	I'm doing it now.
dann	then	Dann gehen wir.	Then we'll go.
immer	always	Sie ist immer pünktlich.	She is always punctual.
oft	often	Ich gehe oft ins Kino.	I often go to the cinema.
manchmal	sometimes	Manchmal bin ich müde.	Sometimes I am tired.
selten	rarely	Er kommt selten.	He rarely comes.
nie	never	Ich trinke nie Kaffee.	I never drink coffee.

Examples

Ich gehe heute ins Kino.

I'm going to the cinema today.

Er war gestern hier.

He was here yesterday.

Wir kommen morgen.

We're coming tomorrow.

Sie ist immer pünktlich.

She is always punctual.

Ich gehe oft ins Kino.

I often go to the cinema.

Manchmal bin ich müde.

Sometimes I am tired.

Ich trinke nie Kaffee.

I never drink coffee.

Common Mistakes

✗

Ich gehe heute Abend ins Kino

✓

Ich gehe heute Abend ins Kino

Actually correct! 'heute Abend' is a time expression that works as an adverb.

✗

Ich bin immer müde

✓

Ich bin immer müde

Correct! 'immer' comes after the verb 'bin'.

Practice Exercises

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Adverbs of Place Adverbs of Manner Numbers, Time & Dates

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know which article to use?

German articles (der, die, das) depend on the gender of the noun. While there are some patterns, many nouns must be memorized. Practice and exposure to German will help you learn them naturally.

What's the difference between definite and indefinite articles?

Definite articles (der, die, das) mean 'the' and refer to specific things. Indefinite articles (ein, eine) mean 'a/an' and refer to non-specific things. Both must match the noun's gender: use 'ein' for masculine/neuter and 'eine' for feminine.

Are there rules for determining noun gender?

While there are some helpful patterns (e.g., words ending in -ung are usually feminine), there are many exceptions. The best approach is to learn nouns with their articles from the beginning.

What happens if I use the wrong article?

While using the wrong article is a common mistake, native speakers will usually still understand you. However, using the correct article is important for sounding natural and fluent in German.