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German Past Tense (Präteritum) Overview
The German past tense (Präteritum), also called simple past or imperfect, is primarily used in written German for storytelling, news reports, and formal writing. In spoken German, the perfect tense (Perfekt) is more commonly used.
Key Uses:
- Narrative writing: Stories, novels, fairy tales
- News reports: Formal journalism
- Historical accounts: Academic and formal texts
- Modal verbs: Even in spoken German, modal verbs often use Präteritum
The Präteritum is essential for reading German literature and understanding formal German texts.
Examples
Es war einmal ein König...
Once upon a time there was a king... (fairy tale)
Der Präsident sprach gestern im Parlament.
The president spoke yesterday in parliament. (news)
Sie konnte nicht kommen.
She couldn't come. (modal verb in spoken German)
Regular Verbs in Präteritum
Regular verbs (weak verbs) form the Präteritum by adding -te to the verb stem, plus personal endings.
Formula: Verb stem + -te + personal ending
Example: lernen → lern- → lernte, lerntest, lernte...
The pattern is predictable and follows the same rules for all regular verbs.
Regular Past Tense Endings
All regular German verbs use these Präteritum endings:
Regular Präteritum Endings
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ich | -te | I (verb)ed |
| du | -test | you (verb)ed |
| er/sie/es | -te | he/she/it (verb)ed |
| wir | -ten | we (verb)ed |
| ihr | -tet | you (verb)ed |
| sie/Sie | -ten | they/you (verb)ed |
lernen → ich lernte, du lerntest, er lernte...
to learn → I learned, you learned, he learned...
Regular Verb Examples
Common regular verbs conjugated in Präteritum:
Arbeiten (to work) - Präteritum
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ich | arbeitete | I worked |
| du | arbeitetest | you worked |
| er/sie/es | arbeitete | he/she/it worked |
| wir | arbeiteten | we worked |
| ihr | arbeitetet | you worked |
| sie/Sie | arbeiteten | they/you worked |
Ich arbeitete gestern im Büro.
I worked in the office yesterday.
Sie spielten Fußball im Park.
They played football in the park.
Wir lernten Deutsch in der Schule.
We learned German at school.
Irregular Verbs in Präteritum
Irregular verbs (strong verbs) change their stem vowel in the Präteritum and don't add -te. These forms must be memorized.
Pattern: Vowel change + different endings
Example: sprechen → sprach, gehen → ging, sein → war
The most common irregular verbs are essential for reading German texts.
Irregular Präteritum Endings
Irregular verbs use these endings (no -te):
Irregular Präteritum Endings
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ich | (no ending) | I |
| du | -st | you |
| er/sie/es | (no ending) | he/she/it |
| wir | -en | we |
| ihr | -t | you |
| sie/Sie | -en | they/you |
Common Irregular Verbs
Essential irregular verbs in Präteritum:
Sprechen (to speak) - Präteritum
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ich | sprach | I spoke |
| du | sprachst | you spoke |
| er/sie/es | sprach | he/she/it spoke |
| wir | sprachen | we spoke |
| ihr | spracht | you spoke |
| sie/Sie | sprachen | they/you spoke |
Er sprach sehr gut Deutsch.
He spoke German very well.
Wir gingen ins Theater.
We went to the theater. (gehen → gingen)
Sie kam zu spät.
She came too late. (kommen → kam)
Most Important Irregular Verbs
These irregular verbs appear frequently in German texts and must be memorized:
Sein (to be) - Completely Irregular
Sein has unique forms in Präteritum:
Sein (to be) - Präteritum
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ich | war | I was |
| du | warst | you were |
| er/sie/es | war | he/she/it was |
| wir | waren | we were |
| ihr | wart | you were |
| sie/Sie | waren | they/you were |
Ich war gestern krank.
I was sick yesterday.
Du warst sehr müde.
You were very tired.
Wir waren im Urlaub.
We were on vacation.
Haben (to have) - Irregular
Haben in Präteritum:
Haben (to have) - Präteritum
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ich | hatte | I had |
| du | hattest | you had |
| er/sie/es | hatte | he/she/it had |
| wir | hatten | we had |
| ihr | hattet | you had |
| sie/Sie | hatten | they/you had |
Ich hatte keine Zeit.
I had no time.
Sie hatten viel Glück.
They had a lot of luck.
Modal Verbs in Präteritum
Modal verbs are commonly used in Präteritum even in spoken German. They have unique irregular forms:
können → konnte (could)
müssen → musste (had to)
wollen → wollte (wanted to)
sollen → sollte (should have)
dürfen → durfte (was allowed to)
mögen → mochte (liked)
These forms are essential for everyday German communication.
Examples
Ich konnte nicht kommen.
I couldn't come.
Du musstest früh aufstehen.
You had to get up early.
Er wollte Arzt werden.
He wanted to become a doctor.
Wir durften nicht rauchen.
We weren't allowed to smoke.
Präteritum vs Perfekt
Understanding when to use Präteritum vs Perfekt is crucial:
Präteritum (Simple Past):
- Written German (stories, news, formal texts)
- Modal verbs (even in speech)
- Formal situations
Perfekt (Present Perfect):
- Spoken German
- Conversational situations
- Informal communication
Both express past actions, but the choice depends on context and register.
Examples
Written: Der König lebte in einem großen Schloss.
Written: The king lived in a large castle. (Präteritum)
Spoken: Der König hat in einem großen Schloss gelebt.
Spoken: The king lived in a large castle. (Perfekt)
Both: Ich konnte nicht schlafen.
Both: I couldn't sleep. (modal verbs use Präteritum)