German expressions about time during the pandemic

As people around the world have been suffering or dying from COVID-19 during the past two years, the heat was on to develop a vaccine to combat the spread of the virus. In other words, the clock was ticking. In German, it's the same: "Die Uhr tickt." Fortunately, vaccines were developed in breakneck speed. But new virus variants, of course, provide constant challenges.

"Oh, you dear time!": This German expression is almost like hugging time. But it's really about expressing surprise or wonder, or being taken aback by something: Dear Me! Good gracious!

The pandemic has changed the world. People have lost loved ones, suffered through COVID-19, or feared infection. Many have lost jobs. We have altered daily routines and redefined how we live. There's a perfect expression in German: "Besondere Zeiten erfordern besondere Maßnahmen." Literally: special times demand special measures. English speakers would say "necessity is the mother of invention."

Faced with more time at home during the pandemic, many have tackled do-it-yourself projects or started new personal development activities, whether picking up a new language or finally learning how to play the guitar — online, naturally. The motto: Wenn nicht jetzt, wann dann? — no better time than the present! Of course, Joni Mitchell is a pro.

A variety of expressions exist about the advantages of doing something right away, such as "Der frühe Vogel fängt den Wurm" (the early bird catches the worm), or "Je früher, desto besser" (the sooner, the better), and the more lyrical "Was du heute kannst besorgen, das verschiebe nicht auf Morgen" (what you can take of today, you shouldn't put off to tomorrow). Bottom line: don't procrastinate!

While the pandemic has driven some to despair, it's human nature to cling to hope for the future. A German expression for keeping the faith is "Kommt Zeit, kommt Rat" — a solution will eventually present itself or counsel will unfold. The German maxim feels more reassuring than its English equivalent: Only time will tell.

Literally, it means it is "five minutes before 12 o'clock," but it actually means it's "high time" (höchste Zeit) or that one must hurry. It hails from centuries ago, when craftsmen working up under the eaves of a clock tower would be called to scramble down the scaffolding to escape the vibrations and deafening sounds of the bells when they rang at the top of the hour.

Literally, it means one's "internal clock"; our biological clock that affects our sleep-wake cycles that are also dependent on sunlight. Hunger, mental alertness, mood, stress, and heart function also rely on a daily rhythm.

In England, "it's teatime" is part of everyday vocabulary. In Germany, "it's coffee time" or time for a coffee break. Generally, this is associated with around 3 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon, when many people are feeling a bit of a slump.

While not always kind in spirit, the German expression "Er tickt nicht richtig" may at times be rather apt. Literally, "he is not ticking right" lends to the idea of a clock not running properly. What it means: "He doesn't have his head screwed on right." Not to be confused with the gesture shown here: "Du hast einen Vogel" (You're nuts!).

Indeed, a more gracious approach can be found in expressions like "Wie die Zeit vergeht" (how time flies), "Alles hat seine Zeit " and "Eile mit Weile" (everything in good or due time). Or the extremely optimistic "alle Zeit der Welt haben" (we have all the time in the world).

Others may often feel like "Mir läuft die Zeit davon" (I'm running out of time, Time is not on my side), or the variant "Die Zeit läuft uns davon" (Time is running out).

The list goes on and on with idioms using the notion of time, like "das Rad der Zeit zurück drehen" (to turn back the wheel of time) and "gerade rechtzeitig" (in the nick of time). But one lovely expression also implies just how relative one's sense of time is: "Im Laufe der Zeit" means "as time flows by" or "over the course/with the passage of time." Only the future knows how things will unfold.

Surely people who have suffered greatly would contest the notion that "die Zeit heilt alle Wunden" (time heals all wounds). But there's much to be said for the stance that time helps people cope with life challenges. Just like learning the ABCs and 123s, developing strategies for tackling emotional hurdles is one of our greatest strengths as humans.