Introduction to Präteritum
The Präteritum (simple past) is often used in written German, especially for storytelling, narratives, and reporting. There are two main types of verbs in the Präteritum: regelmäßige Verben (regular verbs) and unregelmäßige Verben (irregular verbs).
Regular Verbs in Präteritum
Regular verbs follow a simple pattern in the Präteritum. To form the Präteritum of regular verbs:
- Add -te to the verb stem.
- Add -test, -ten, or -tet depending on the subject.
| Pronoun |
lernen (to learn) |
arbeiten (to work) |
| ich |
lernte |
arbeitete |
| du |
lerntest |
arbeitetest |
| er/sie/es |
lernte |
arbeitete |
| wir |
lernten |
arbeiteten |
| ihr |
lerntet |
arbeitetet |
| sie/Sie |
lernten |
arbeiteten |
Examples with Regular Verbs
Ich lernte gestern viel. (I studied a lot yesterday.)
Wir arbeiteten den ganzen Tag. (We worked all day.)
Irregular Verbs in Präteritum
Irregular verbs do not follow a simple pattern. Their stems change in the Präteritum, and these forms must be memorized. Here are some common examples:
| Pronoun |
sein (to be) |
haben (to have) |
gehen (to go) |
| ich |
war |
hatte |
ging |
| du |
warst |
hattest |
gingst |
| er/sie/es |
war |
hatte |
ging |
| wir |
waren |
hatten |
gingen |
| ihr |
wart |
hattet |
gingt |
| sie/Sie |
waren |
hatten |
gingen |
Examples with Irregular Verbs
Er war gestern krank. (He was sick yesterday.)
Ich ging in die Stadt. (I went to the city.)
Note: Practicing with both regular and irregular verbs will help improve your understanding and usage of the Präteritum in German.