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     Table of Contents Chapter 30 30.5 Prepositions with the time
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Chapter 30: Time and Date

  30.5 Prepositions with the time

The number of prepositions that are used giving the time is quite limited. Basically there are only five different prepositions.

Prepositions with the time  
  ab
= from
  gegen
= around
  nach*
= after
  vor
= before
  um
= at

* Not nach is different than danach. Nach is a preposition; danach is a pronoun and in this functions danach substitutes something..

Have a look at these examples  
  a) Er kommt nach neun Uhr.
= He comes after nine.
  b) Danach gehen wir in die Kneipe.
= After this we go to the pub.

Nach in phrase a) does not substitute anything, it simply means after. Danach in phrase b) substitutes (after the conference, after going to the movies, after the party). The English translation would be after this.

  Some examples
Er kommt um sechs Uhr.
= He comes at six.
  Die Veranstaltung beginnt pünktlich um sieben Uhr dreißig.
= The event starts at 7:30 (sharp).
  Er kommt gegen sechs Uhr.
= He comes around six o'clock.
  Er kommt vor sechs Uhr.
= He comes before six o'clock.
  Er kommt nach sechs Uhr.
= He comes after six o'clock.
  Ab sieben Uhr sind alle Läden geschlossen.
= From seven o'clock on all shops are closed.
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