Introduction to the Verb "Haben" in the Past Tense
The verb **haben** (to have) is one of the most commonly used verbs in German. In this lesson, we'll focus on its **conjugation in the past tense** (preterite). The past tense of "haben" is used in narratives, stories, and reports about the past. Here’s how to conjugate "haben" in the past tense:
Conjugation of "Haben" in the Past Tense
| Person |
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 (plural) had |
| sie/Sie |
hatten |
they/you (formal) had |
Examples of "Haben" in the Past Tense
- Ich hatte gestern viel Arbeit. (I had a lot of work yesterday.)
- Du hattest recht. (You were right.)
- Er hatte einen Hund als Kind. (He had a dog as a child.)
- Wir hatten eine tolle Zeit im Urlaub. (We had a great time on vacation.)
- Ihr hattet eine schöne Feier. (You had a nice party.)
- Sie hatten viele Fragen. (They had many questions.)
Practice Exercise
Fill in the blanks with the correct past tense form of "haben":
- 1. Ich ______ gestern keine Zeit. (had)
- 2. Wir ______ ein neues Auto. (had)
- 3. Du ______ viele Freunde in der Schule. (had)
- 4. Sie ______ ein großes Haus. (had)
Additional Examples
Here are more examples of "haben" used in past tense sentences:
- Wir hatten Glück mit dem Wetter. (We were lucky with the weather.)
- Ihr hattet einen schönen Abend. (You had a nice evening.)
- Sie hatten einen wichtigen Termin. (They had an important appointment.)
- Ich hatte viele Hausaufgaben gestern. (I had a lot of homework yesterday.)