Availability and daily planning
Use Zeit when asking whether someone has time, needs time, saves time, or does not have time.
Hast du heute Nachmittag Zeit?
dieA1DE-EN
noun
Zeit
Translation
time; period; tense
Zeit means time. It can refer to clock time, available time, a period of life, or grammatical tense.
Teacher note
Zeit is a high-frequency noun, but English time splits into several German patterns. Uhrzeit is clock time; Zeit is time as a resource or period.
Usage scenarios
Periods and grammar
Zeit can name a period in life or a grammatical tense. Context decides whether English should say time, period, or tense.
Welche Zeit benutzt man im Nebensatz?
Choose the right translation
time
The default translation for available time, time in general, and many everyday phrases.
period
Useful when Zeit means a phase, era, or stretch of time.
tense
Use in grammar contexts such as past tense or present tense.
Usage guide
Zeit is broader than clock time. It often means available time, time as a resource, or a period. For exact clock time, German often uses Uhrzeit or asks Wie spät ist es?
The most useful everyday phrases are Zeit haben, keine Zeit haben, Zeit brauchen, Zeit sparen, and Zeit verlieren. These phrases are more important than rare translations.
In grammar, Zeit can mean tense. That sense appears in language learning, so a dictionary page for learners should not hide it, but it should not dominate ordinary usage.
How to study this entry
Write a daily schedule with three Zeit compounds: Arbeitszeit, Freizeit, and Lernzeit. Add one sentence asking a friend whether they have time. This anchors the noun in real planning.
Make a contrast drill with Zeit, Uhrzeit, Termin, and Mal. Translate What time is it, Do you have time, I have an appointment, and one more time. Each English time should lead to a different German choice.
For grammar review, write one sentence asking Welche Zeit ist das? next to a verb form. Then write one everyday sentence with Zeit haben. Seeing both meanings side by side prevents confusion.
Collect verbs around Zeit: haben, brauchen, sparen, verlieren, verbringen. Use each verb once. The verb tells you whether time is availability, resource, waste, or experience.
For reading practice, underline the word after Zeit in compounds. Freizeit, Arbeitszeit, Reisezeit, and Lernzeit each answer a different question about whose time or what kind of time is meant.
Write one apology with Zeit: Leider habe ich diese Woche keine Zeit. Then write one planning sentence with Termin. This separates availability from appointment.
Word forms and word building
Die Zeit is feminine. The plural Zeiten often means times, periods, or eras, not several pieces of time in a simple countable way.
Zeit forms many compounds: Uhrzeit, Freizeit, Arbeitszeit, Reisezeit, Lernzeit, Zeitplan. These compounds specify what kind of time is meant.
Zeitlich is the adjective temporal or time-related. Gleichzeitig means at the same time or simultaneous.
Meaning boundaries
Zeit vs Uhrzeit
Zeit is time in general or available time. Uhrzeit is clock time.
Zeit vs Mal
Mal counts occasions. Zeit names time itself or a period.
Zeit vs Termin
Termin is an appointment or scheduled date. Zeit is the time you have or need.
Grammar meaning
In grammar lessons, Zeit can mean tense, such as present tense or past tense.
Memory guide
Start with the question Hast du Zeit? It is one of the most useful short sentences in German.
Group compounds by life area: Freizeit for free time, Arbeitszeit for work time, Lernzeit for study time, Uhrzeit for clock time.
When translating time, decide whether you mean availability, clock time, occasion, appointment, or grammar tense.
Patterns that sound natural
Zeit haben
to have time
Hast du morgen Zeit?
Do you have time tomorrow?
keine Zeit haben
to have no time
Ich habe heute keine Zeit.
I do not have time today.
zur rechten Zeit
at the right time
Sie kam zur rechten Zeit.
She came at the right time.
Common learner trap
Using Zeit when asking for clock time.
Use Uhrzeit or Wie spät ist es? for clock time. Use Zeit for time as availability, duration, or period.
Try it yourself
Ask a friend if they have time tomorrow.
Hast du morgen Zeit?
Examples
Wir brauchen mehr Zeit.
We need more time.
In letzter Zeit lerne ich viel Deutsch.
Recently, I have been learning a lot of German.
Welche Zeit benutzt man hier?
Which tense do you use here?