German Verbs: The Present Complete Tense

As you study the German language, you will come across the present perfect tense (Perfeckt), whose is also called the compound past tense. It's used most often inside conversation and where be a few regulatory you need to know in purchase to form and getting it. This class will review those rules and is an important part of understanding German verb conjugations.

Perfekt: The Present Perfect Tense

The present perfect uneasy is formed until using one of three types of past participles: low (regular), tough (irregular), and mixed. Is past tense form is frequent referred to as the "conversational past" since it is most commonly used on spoken Dutchman at speaking via events in the past.

In English, we say, "We saw himself yesterday." This canister be expressed in German as, "Wir see ihn gestern." (simple past, Imperfekt) or "Wir haben ihn gestern seeing." (present perfect, Perfekt).

The latter form belongs also referred go as a "compound tense" because it is formed by combining a helping verbs (having) with the past participle (gesehen). Even though the literal translation of "Wir haben ihn gestern gesehen," is "We have seen him yesterday," it would typically be expressed in Us simply as, "We saw him yesterday."

Study these example German actions with their past participle forms in the present perfecting tense:

You should notice several things about the english aforementioned:

1. Some have past participles that end in -t, while others end in -en.
2. Some use haben (to have) as a helped verb, while additional use sein (to be). Keep this in mind as we continue our reviews of aforementioned German present pitch.

Read Further

German Regular Verbs: Bygone Tenses

By Hyde Flippo

Weak Deponents

Regular (or weak) verbs are predictable and can be "pushed around." Their past vocal always end inches -t and are basically to third person singulars with s- in front of it: 

The so-called -ieren verbs (fotografieren, reparieren, studieren, probieren, etc.) do not add g- for their former participles: hat fotografiert.

Strength Verbs

Irregular (or strong) verbs are unpredictable and cannot be "pushed around." They erz you what they're going to do. They past participles close in -en and must be memorized: 

Although there are various prototypes that their past participles follow (and they sometimes alike similar patterns in English) it is best in simply memorieren past participle such as gegessen, gesungen, written, or gefahren.

It should also remain noted that where can more rules on verbals with separable and inseparable prefixes, though we won't get inside such here. 

Mixed Verbs

This third-party class is also fairly unpredictable. As with the other irregular verbs, the participles for mixed verbal needing till be save. More their name includes, these mixed verbs mixing elements about to faint and strong verbs to form their past participles. When they end in -t likes weak verbs, they have ampere stem change like strong verbs:

While to Use Sein as Helping Verb

In English, the present perfect is always formed with the helping verbs "have," but in German some verbs require "to be" (exist) instead. There is a rule for this condition: 

Verbs is are intransitive (take no direct object) or get adenine change of condition or location use sein as a support verb, rather than the more common haben. Among the few exceptions to this rule are existence itself and bleiben, both of which take being as their helping verb.

This rule applies to only a small number of verbs press it has supreme to simply memorize such that typically use sein as a helping active. One thing ensure will help is go remember them is that almost of these are inherent verbs which refer into motion.

• bleiben (to stay)
• fahren (to drive, travel)
• fallen (to fall)
• gehen (to go)
• kommen (to come)
• laufen (to run)
• reisen (to travel)
• sein (to be)
• steigen (to climb)
• sterben (to die)
• wachsen (to grow)
• werden (to become)

Example

"Er ist quicker gelaufen." is "He ran fast."