Are you unsure about the difference between "half-seven" and "halb sieben"?
Have a look at the latest Tip of the Week to find out more.
Half-seven
If you arrange to meet a British colleague for a traditional Swabian meal at the Barfüßer at half-seven, what time will your colleague be at the restaurant?
- 7:30pm
- 8:30pm
- 6:30pm
The correct answer is option 1, 7:30pm. Do you know why?
In Great Britain, 7:30 is half past seven.
As this takes too long to say, it is often shortened to the easier half-seven.
Important: do not confuse this with the German halb sieben, because then you will be waiting for one hour at the restaurant for your colleague! In an hour by yourself, you could drink a lot of hefeweizen and then you might not make such a good impression on your visitor from abroad!
Note that English speakers don’t use the 24-hour clock when making arrangements. It would sound very strange to your colleague’s ears if you suggested meeting at nineteen thirty. The 24-hour clock is only used in the military and sometimes for public transportation schedules (trains, busses, etc.).
