Verb Tenses - A Comparison Between German and English

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Verb Tenses A Comparison

Between German and English

http://german.about.com/od/verbs/a/GermanVerbTenses.htm

Knowing how to conjugate a verb is only half the battle.Knowing when to use these conjugations correctly is theother half and more difficult part. Further, to simplytranslate or compare verb usage in English to that ofGerman will prove fateful, since verb tense applicationdiffers between these two languages in some cases. Look at

the following comparison between the English and Germanverb tenses:

1. Present/ Prsens

English

Used for repeated actions: I read every night.

Facts and statements: She sings very well.

The present moment (some verbs): He needs ourhelp.

Near future events: When can I eat the cookie?

German

Repeated actions: Ich lese abends.

Facts and statements: Sie singt sehr gut.

To describe something that is happeningpresently: Ich backe einen Geburtstagskuchen. (I ambaking a cake.)

To describe a future event/ action whether nearor in the distant future:

Ich komme mit. ( I am coming.)
http://german.about.com/od/verbs/a/GermanVerbTenses.htmhttp://german.about.com/od/verbs/a/GermanVerbTenses.htm


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Nchstes Jahr fliegen wir nach Amsterdam. (We areflying to Amsterdam next year.)

2. Present Continuous:

Used when an action is being done at themoment: I am baking a birthday cake.

Does not exist in German, instead the simplepresent (Prsens) is used in German to describe acurrent action:Ich backe einen Geburtstagskuchen.

3. Present Perfect

English

Is used when you want to describe an action thathappened in the past at an unspecified time: I havebeen to Germany before.

An uncompleted action: He hasnt fallen asleep

yet.

An action that has happened in the past but haslasted till the present moment: Ive had this cold forthe past two weeks.

German

Is used to describe an event/action in the past

whether at an unspecified time or not: Ich habe eineWurst gegessen. ( I ate a sausage.)Ich habe gestern eine Wurst gegessen. ( I ate asausage yesterday.)

Is used to describe an uncompleted action: Er istnoch nicht eingeschlafen.

An action that has happened in the past but has

lasted till the present moment: Seit zwei Wochenhabe ich diese Erkltung.


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Note: Germans use mostly the present perfect inconversation as opposed to the simple past todescribe past events.

4. Present Perfect Continuous: It does not exist in German.

5. Simple Past/ Das Prteritum

English

Is used to describe actions/events that occurredin the past.She danced all night.

German

Is used to describe actions/events that occurredin the past as well, but is mostly espressed in

narrative text: Sie tanzte die ganze Nacht.

In German conversation you express a pastevent in Present Perfect: Sie hat die ganze Nachtgetanzt.

6. Past Continuous

English

To indicate that an action was interrupted in thepast: He was eating when she called.

To describe that two or several actions werehappening at the same time in the past: I wasstanding while I was eating.

German


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Does not exist in German.

In order to express the above function mentioned,Germans use the German simple past plus the

word gerade -> Er a gerade als sie telefonierte. (Hewas eating when she called.)

7. Past Perfect/ Plusquamperfekt

English

Is used to indicate that an action occurred beforeanother action in the past. The child was alreadyfinished with the homework, when the motherentered.

German

Is also used to indicate that an action occurredbefore another action in the past.Das Kind hatte die Hausaufgaben schon fertiggemacht, als die Mutter rein kam.

8. Past Perfect Continuous

Does not exist in German.

9. Simple Future/ Futur I

English

Is used to describe an action/event at a specifictime in the future:I will eat my piece of cake at my party.I am going to the mall tomorrow.

German

Also used to describe an action/event at a specifictime in the future. This is done by using the


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verb werden plus the infinitive of the action verb: Ichwerde morgen zum Einkaufszentrum gehen.

Germans tend to use more the present to describe a

future event. In such sentences you have the presenttense of the verb + an adverb or other words thatmake it clear that the action will happen in thefuture: Ich schlafe bald ein.

10.Future Continuous

Is used to express an action at a particular timein the future: I will be studying hard during theweekend.

Is used to describe that an action will beinterrupted: He will be sleeping when I arrive tonight.

Is used when two or more actions are occurring atthe same time: I will be reading while he isswimming.

German

The future continuous does not exist in German.However by adding an adverb such as whrendto asentence youll be able to express the abovementioned functions of the future continuous:

Ich werde lesen, whrend du kochst. (I will be readingwhile you cook.)

11.Future Perfect/ Futur II

English


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Is used to express a future action that will occurbefore another future action/ event: By next year Iwill have graduated.

German

Is also used to express a future action that willoccur before another future action/ event.

When you want to express the probability ofsomething having happened: Sie wird das bestimmtschon in der Zeitung gelesen haben.

Adverbs such as bestimmt(forsure), wohl and schon (already) will prove helpful forsuch sentences.

The future perfect is not used very much in German.Instead, it is often replaced by the present perfect.Wenn sie ankommt, wird er bereits abgefahren sein. -> Wenn sie ankommt, ist er bereitsabgefahren. (When she arrives, he will have left.)

12.The Future Perfect Continuous: does not exist inGerman.

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Verb Tenses - A Comparison Between German and English