German Tenses Cheat Sheet

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Present tense (Präsens) example (cont) example

Sie, finden gehen sitzen machen infinitive dürfen können müssen sollen
what it looks like in english sie ich darf kann muss soll
This tense is the only tense used for the du darfst kannst musst sollst
Irregular verbs
present. The english equivalent for this:
er,sie,es darf kann muss soll
These verbs do not follow the same pattern,
wir dürfen können müssen sollen
example and must be memorised
ihr dürft könnt müsst sollt
Ich sage I say
example Sie,sie dürfen können müssen sollen
i am saying
infinitive sein haben werden wissen
--- --- Past Perfect (Plusq​uam​per​fekt)
ich bin habe werde weiß
ich gehe i go
du bist hast wirdst weißt
i am going what and when is it used?
er,sie,es ist hat wird weißt
--- --- The past perfect tense describes events or
wir sind haben werden wissen
ich spreche i speak situations that comes before another point
ihr seid habt werdt wisst in the past that has been establ​ished
i am speaking
Sie,sie sind haben werden wissen through the present perfect or the simple
Regular verbs past tenses. It is used to make it clear that
stem changing verbs one event happened before another in the
regular verbs take the stem word and
past.
replace the -en/-n with a new ending Some irregular verbs having a, au, or e in
This tense is the same as present perfec​‐
depending on the pronoun used. when a their infinitive stems.
t(b​esides when it is used), but in this tense:
verb ends in -en/-n it is in the infinitive state. There are four types of stem changes: a >
Haben > hatte
note, ä, au > äu, e > i, and e > ie.
Sein > war
- If the infinitive stem ends in –s, –ß, –x, or
use the same conjug​ations as present
–z, the s of the du-ending is not needed example
perfect.
- if the infinitive stem ends in -d or -t the infinitive fahren laufen sprechen sehen
endings require an "​e" before they are
ich fahre laufe spreche sehe Simple Past (Präte​ritum)
added -st > -est
du fährst läufst sprichst siehst

example er,sie,es fährt läuft spricht sieht

wir fahren laufen sprechen sehen
infinitive finden gehen sitzen machen
ihr fahrt lauft sprecht seht
infinitive find geh sitz mach
stem Sie, sie fahren laufen sprechen sehen

ich finde gehe sitze mache

model verbs
du findest gehst sitzt machst
Model verbs usually replace the umleted
er, sie, findet geht sitzt macht
letter when conjug​ated. There are 6
es
Note
wir finden gehen sitzen machen
-sollen doesnt have a letter change but
ihr findet geht sitzt macht follows the same pattern

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 German Tenses Cheat Sheet
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what and when is it used? example how it works (cont)

Simple past is a way to talk in the past infinitive finden sprechen essen fahren this tense is used to express future intent​‐
tense with as few verbs as possible. The ich fand sprache aß fuhr ions, although, in spoken German, it is
simple past is often used in writing and isnt more common to use the present tense for
du fandest sprachst aßest fuhrst
found commonly in everyday speech. this.
er,sie,es fand sprach aß fuhr
you might hear it in speech if:
- someone is telling you a story wir fanden sprachen aßen fuhren Present Perfect (Perfekt)
- its more convient ihr fandet sprachet aßet fuhrt
Regular verbs follow a patten of endings. It
Sie,sie fanden sprachen aßen fuhren what and when is it used?
is practi​cally the same as the present tense
This is also called the perfect tense. The
ending, but simple past will have an extra e
Mixed verbs
tense is used to speak about actions
or te as shown below:
when a mixed verb is conjugated in the completed in the recent past.
simple past, it has the endings of weak to use this tense you must use an auxiliary
example
verbs and has stem changes. verb and a past participle verb
infinitive sagen tanzen putzen spielen
there arent many and make up a lot of for the auxiliary verb itll be haben or sein
ich sagte tanzte putzte spielte common words, you will remember them to turn a regular verb in a past participle
du sagtest tanztest putztest spieltestthrough repeated use. verb, you must add ge- to the start, and -t to
the end
er,sie,es sagte tanzte putzte spielte
example (with the exeption of any regular verb that
wir sagten tanzten putzten spielten
ends in -ieren)
infinitive haben wissen denken bringen
ihr sagtet tanztet putztet spieltet
ich hatte wusste dachte brachte
Sie, sie sagten tanzten putzten spielten example
du hattest wusstest dachtest brachtest
infinitive arbeiten machen fragen reden
Irregular verbs er,sie,es hatte wusste dachte brachte
ich gearbeitet gemacht gefragt geredet
Irregular verbs for simple past doesnt have wir hatten wussten dachten brachten
du gearbeitet gemacht gefragt geredet
much of a pattern, you have to remeber ihr hattet wusstet dachtet brachtet
er,sie,es gearbeitet gemacht gefragt geredet
which verb is irregu​lar(if the stem change
Sie,sie hatten wussten dachten brachten
letters when conjug​ated) and which word wir gearbeitet gemacht gefragt geredet
you replace them with. ihr gearbeitet gemacht gefragt geredet
Future tense (Futur 1)
there is a rough pattern of changing the
Sie,sie gearbeitet gemacht gefragt geredet
stem and adding either -st, -en, -t or nothing
how it works

When forming something that is future

tense, you use the same rules as present
perfect, instead of using haben or sein, you
always use Werden
There are no new conjug​ations, use the
Present tense conjug​ations.

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 German Tenses Cheat Sheet
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Irregular verbs Haben or Sein? Resources

Irregular verbs follow the same pattern as As was stated before, along with a verb you
regular verbs, but instead of adding -t, -en is must also use a auxiliary verb. In this case, dictionary
added. The stem may also change haben or sein.
auxiliary verb
When to use Sein:
a verb such as have, be, may, do, shall, will,
example - The verb “sein” in perfect tense (Ich bin
can, or must
gewesen – I have been)
infinitive helfen nehmen laufen singen passive and active verbs
- Verbs which describe that somebody or
ich geholfen genommen gelaufen gesungen When the verb is passive, the subject
something physically moves to another
undergoes the action rather than doing it
du geholfen genommen gelaufen gesungen
place (fahren, schwimmen, fliegen, gehen,
Brazil was beaten in the final.
er,sie,es geholfen genommen gelaufen gesungen
laufen etc.)
When the verb is active, the subject of the
wir geholfen genommen gelaufen - Verbs which describe a change of state or
gesungen verb is doing the action
a verb which normally cannot be performed
ihr geholfen genommen gelaufen gesungen France beats Brazil in the final.
in “passive” (bleiben, aufwachen, sterben,
Sie, sie geholfen genommen gelaufen gesungen
warden etc.)
test your conjug​ation
When to use Haben:
Mixed verbs A good website to test your conjug​ation
- The verb “haben” in perfect tense (Ich
skills is German.net, it has 100 plus verbs
mixed verbs use ge- prefix and -t suffix like habe gehabt – I have had)
that you can quiz yourself on and
regular verbs, but the stem may change like - All the verbs which do not fulfill the requir​‐
memorise. Its good because you can just
irregular verbs. ements to be used with “sein”
chip away at it over time, i found myself
doing about 10 verbs a day, making my
example Future Perfect (Futur 2)
way through the list, retesting the tenses
infinitive brennen bringen kennen
over and over.
ich gebrannt gebracht gekannt how it works
It is possible you need to make an account,
du gebrannt gebracht gekannt The future perfect is uncommon in German. its quick, and free and you can stay logged
To form the future perfect in German, you in.
er,sie,es gebrannt gebracht gekannt
take the past participle of the verb being the website also have other stuff you can
wir gebrannt gebracht gekannt
conjugated and use the correct conjug​ation quiz yourself on, overall i found it very
ihr gebrannt gebracht gekannt of werden. Then use the approp​riate helpful, i hope you do too, reader.
Sie,sie gebrannt gebracht gekannt verb(haben or sein) which is placed at then The Conjug​ation page for German.net
end of the sentence
The future perfect expresses the
assumption that an action will have been
completed by the time of speaking, or by a
particular point in the future.

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