daylight saving time / summertime
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daylight saving time
The period of time (usually from spring to autumn) during which clocks are set forward by one hour in order to make better use of daylight in the evening.
Vergiss nicht, am Sonntag beginnt die Sommerzeit und die Uhren werden eine Stunde vorgestellt.
Don't forget, daylight saving time begins on Sunday and the clocks are set forward by one hour.
The word is a simple compound of 'der Sommer' (summer) and 'die Zeit' (time). Literally, it means 'summer time,' which is the basis for both meanings.
Ich freue mich jedes Jahr auf die Sommerzeit.
I look forward to summertime every year.
You can recognize the difference from the context. If it is about changing the clocks, it means the official time change. If it is about the weather, vacations, or the general season, it means summer itself.
Die Umstellung auf die Sommerzeit findet immer in der Nacht von Samstag auf Sonntag statt.
The change to daylight saving time always takes place during the night from Saturday to Sunday.
In connection with the time change, 'Sommerzeit' is often used with verbs such as 'einführen' (to introduce), 'beginnen' (to begin), or the noun 'die Umstellung' (the changeover). A typical action is 'die Uhr umstellen' (to change the clock).
Am Wochenende werden die Uhren auf Sommerzeit umgestellt.
This weekend, the clocks will be changed to daylight saving time.
summer
'der Sommer' and 'die Sommerzeit' can both refer to the warm season. In this sense, they are often similar. However, 'Sommer' is the normal word for the season. 'Sommerzeit' can also mean something else: the period when clocks are set forward by one hour. That is why confusion can arise. When talking about weather, holidays, or the season, 'Sommer' usually sounds more natural. When it is about the clock change, 'Sommerzeit' is more precise.
Wegen der Sommerzeit ist es abends länger hell.
Because of daylight saving time, it stays light longer in the evening.
Im Sommer fahren viele Familien an den See.
In summer, many families go to the lake.