Prepositions for referring to points in time and time spans
- Ab (from) indicates when a time period begins.
Das Geschäft hat ab 8 Uhr geöffnet.
The store is open from 8 a.m.
Ab nächster Woche habe ich Urlaub.
I am on holiday from next week.
- Bis and bis zu (both meaning “until”) indicate when a time period ends.
Der Supermarkt hat bis 22 Uhr geöffnet.
The supermarket is open until 10 p.m.
Ich arbeite bis zum Abendessen.
I'm working up until dinner.
- Von … bis (from… to) indicates how long a time period lasts.
von 12 bis 13 Uhr
from 12 to 1 p.m.
von Montag bis Freitag
from Monday to Friday
Note: ab, von and zu all take the dative. Dativ
Ab nächstem Monat arbeite ich ganztags.
I will be working all day from next month.
Vom 1. bis zum 4. Januar habe ich frei.
I am off from January 1st to 4th.
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