German Calendar & Dates Vocabulary
This set is about naming dates, appointments, and the calendar dates people actually argue over: der Termin, die Frist, and der Zeitpunkt. English speakers usually reach for "date" for all three, but German splits them apart: der Termin is a scheduled slot, die Frist is a hard deadline you can miss, and der Zeitpunkt is just an abstract moment in time. Get this split right and half your scheduling vocabulary in German suddenly makes sense.
Learn these 22 words
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All 22 words
plural: die Daten
date
Bitte schreiben Sie noch das Datum auf das Formular. — Please write the date on the form.
plural: die Geburtstage
birthday
Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag! — Happy birthday!
- letztA1
last
Morgen ist der letzte Kurstag. — Tomorrow is the last day of the course.
- nächstA1
next
Sehen wir uns nächste Woche? — See you next week?
plural: die Termine
appointment, date
Am besten machen wir sofort einen Termin. — It's best if we make an appointment right away.
- nächsteA2
next
Sehen wir uns nächste Woche? — Shall we see each other next week?
postpone
Leider muss ich den Termin verschieben. — Unfortunately I have to postpone the appointment.
plural: die Fasnachten
carnival, Shrove Tuesday
Dort hängt mein Kostüm für den Fasnachtsumzug. — My costume for the carnival parade hangs there.
plural: die Feiertage
public holiday
Am Montag ist Feiertag. — Monday is a public holiday.
plural: die Fristen
deadline
Die Frist für die Anmeldung zum Deutschkurs ist abgelaufen. — The deadline for registering for the German course has passed.
plural: die Gelegenheiten
opportunity, occasion
Das Fest ist eine gute Gelegenheit, unsere Freunde zu sehen. — The festival is a good occasion to see our friends.
- heutigB1
today's, present
Die heutigen Computer können viel mehr als noch vor ein paar Jahren. — Today's computers can do much more than a few years ago.
plural: die Kalender
calendar
Ich habe den Termin in meinem Kalender notiert. — I noted the appointment in my calendar.
plural: die Male
time; occasion
Das machen wir nächstes Mal. — We'll do that next time.
plural: die Terminkalender
appointment calendar
Hast du unser Treffen schon in deinen Terminkalender eingetragen? — Have you already entered our meeting in your appointment calendar?
plural: die Verabredungen
appointment, date
Ich habe um 15 Uhr eine Verabredung mit Klaus. — I have an appointment with Klaus at 3 p.m.
plural: die Zeitpunkte
point in time
Er ist krank. Das ist kein guter Zeitpunkt für einen Besuch. — He is sick. This is not a good point in time for a visit.
plural: die Jahre
year
Das Jahr 2024 hat 366 Tage. — The year 2024 has 366 days.
New Year's Eve
Silvester feiern wir mit Familie und Freunden. — We celebrate New Year's Eve with family and friends.
Daylight savings time
Die Sommerzeit beginnt im März. — Daylight savings time begins in March.
plural: die Termine
appointment
Ich habe einen Termin beim Zahnarzt. — I have an appointment at the dentist.
plural: die Zeitrechnungen
calendar
Die Zeitrechnung beginnt im Jahr eins. — The calendar begins in year one.
How to learn this set
Notice that der Termin shows up twice on this list (once with its plural -e) and again inside der Terminkalender, so learn Termin cold first and the compound comes free. The same goes for die Zeit as a root: der Zeitpunkt and die Sommerzeit both build on it, so drilling die Zeit's gender first locks in two more words at once. For letzt, nächst, and nächste, drill them in short phrases like "letztes Jahr" and "nächste Woche" rather than as bare adjectives, since their endings shift with the noun. Finally, pair der Feiertag with das Silvester and die Fasnacht on a real calendar (write the actual dates next to them) so you're learning them as events, not just translations.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between der Termin and die Verabredung?
Der Termin is a scheduled appointment, like a doctor's visit or a business meeting, often set by someone else. Die Verabredung is a personal arrangement to meet, like with a friend or a date, and carries a slightly social tone that Termin doesn't have.
What is the difference between das Datum and der Termin?
Das Datum is the actual calendar date, like der 3. Mai. Der Termin is the appointment or slot tied to that date, so you say 'welches Datum' when asking about the day, but 'welcher Termin' when asking about a booked meeting.
What is Fasnacht in Germany?
Fasnacht (also spelled Fastnacht) is the carnival season before Lent, especially big in southern Germany and Switzerland with parades and costumes. It's regional: in the Rhineland the same season is usually called Karneval or Fasching.
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