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A1-46 · Arrange and change a time

Appointments

Use vor, nach, ab and bis to describe when appointments happen.

About 5 minutes to read · 12 quiz questions

An adult checks a calendar before an appointment, with a work bag ready by the desk.

01

Before or after

Vor means before and nach means after in time phrases. Both take the dative: vor dem Termin, nach der Arbeit. Der Termin means appointment.

Ich komme vor dem Termin.

I am coming before the appointment.

Ich komme nach dem Termin.

I am coming after the appointment.

Wir sprechen nach der Arbeit.

We will talk after work.

Ich esse vor dem Termin.

I eat before the appointment.

Distinguish vor dem Termin from nach dem Termin. Der becomes dem; die becomes der in these dative phrases.

A receptionist points to open hours on a simple clock-based appointment planner without writing.

02

From a time until a time

Ab gives a starting point: ab neun Uhr. Bis gives an endpoint: bis zehn Uhr. The useful pair von ... bis gives a time range.

Ich bin ab neun Uhr da.

I will be there from nine o’clock onward.

Ich arbeite bis fünf Uhr.

I work until five o’clock.

Ich habe von zwei bis drei Uhr Zeit.

I am free from two until three o’clock.

Die Praxis ist ab Montag offen.

The practice is open from Monday onward.

Ab Montag means from Monday onward. Bis Freitag means until Friday. With these clock times and weekdays, no extra article is needed.

Two adults reschedule an appointment over a phone call while one moves a marker on a calendar.

03

Cancel or reschedule

Absagen means cancel; verschieben means reschedule or postpone. Say Ich muss den Termin absagen. Use Passt Dienstag? to ask whether Tuesday works.

Ich muss den Termin absagen.

I have to cancel the appointment.

Können wir den Termin verschieben?

Can we reschedule the appointment?

Der Termin ist am Dienstag um zehn Uhr.

The appointment is on Tuesday at ten o’clock.

Leider habe ich keine Zeit.

Unfortunately, I have no time.

Leider means unfortunately. A new time can combine a day and a clock time: am Dienstag um zehn Uhr.

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