The imperfect tense (Edexcel GCSE German): Revision Notes
The imperfect tense
What is the imperfect tense?
The imperfect tense (das Imperfekt) allows you to talk about things that happened in the past. It's particularly useful for describing ongoing actions or telling stories about past events. While many German speakers prefer the perfect tense in conversation, the imperfect tense appears frequently in written German and is essential for your GCSE exam.
The imperfect tense is especially important for written German and storytelling. You'll encounter it frequently in literature, news articles, and formal writing, making it crucial for your exam success.
Forming the imperfect tense
For regular verbs, creating the imperfect tense follows a straightforward three-step process:
- Start with the infinitive - for example, hören (to hear)
- Remove the -en ending - hören becomes hör
- Add the imperfect endings to create the conjugated forms
Worked Example: Forming the Imperfect Tense
Step 1: Take the infinitive spielen (to play) Step 2: Remove the -en ending → spiel Step 3: Add imperfect endings:
- ich spielte (I played/was playing)
- du spieltest (you played/were playing)
- er/sie/es spielte (he/she/it played/was playing)
Regular verb endings
| Person | Ending | Example (hören) | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | -te | ich hörte | I heard/was hearing |
| du | -test | du hörtest | you heard/were hearing |
| er/sie/es | -te | er/sie/es hörte | he/she/it heard/was hearing |
| wir | -ten | wir hörten | we heard/were hearing |
| ihr | -tet | ihr hörtet | you heard/were hearing |
| Sie/sie | -ten | Sie/sie hörten | you/they heard/were hearing |
Example sentences:
- Ich hörte Musik. - I was listening to music.
- Wir hörten den Lehrer. - We heard the teacher.
haben and sein in the imperfect tense
The verbs haben (to have) and sein (to be) are amongst the most important irregular verbs. You'll use these constantly, so learning their imperfect forms is crucial.
haben and sein are the most frequently used verbs in German. Their imperfect forms are essential for basic communication and appear in almost every conversation about the past. Master these first!
haben (to have)
| Person | German | English |
|---|---|---|
| ich | hatte | I had |
| du | hattest | you had |
| er/sie/es | hatte | he/she/it had |
| wir | hatten | we had |
| ihr | hattet | you had |
| Sie/sie | hatten | you/they had |
Example: Ich hatte Glück. - I was lucky.
sein (to be)
| Person | German | English |
|---|---|---|
| ich | war | I was |
| du | warst | you were |
| er/sie/es | war | he/she/it was |
| wir | waren | we were |
| ihr | wart | you were |
| Sie/sie | waren | you/they were |
Example: Es war teuer. - It was expensive.
Common irregular verbs in the imperfect tense
Many frequently used verbs have irregular imperfect forms that don't follow the standard pattern. Here are some essential ones to memorise:
| Infinitive | Imperfect stem | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| fahren | fuhr | drove/travelled |
| gehen | ging | went/walked |
| können | konnte | could/was able to |
| müssen | musste | had to |
| mögen | mochte | liked |
| nehmen | nahm | took |
| schreiben | schrieb | wrote |
| sollen | sollte | should/ought |
| sprechen | sprach | spoke |
| wissen | wusste | knew |
| wollen | wollte | wanted to |
Irregular verbs don't follow the standard -te pattern. Each one must be learned individually, but the good news is that once you know the imperfect stem, you just add the same endings as regular verbs: -∅, -st, -∅, -en, -t, -en.
Worked Example: Using Irregular Verbs in Context
Ich wollte mit meiner Freundin ausgehen, aber ich musste meine Hausaufgaben machen.
- I wanted to go out with my friend, but I had to do my homework.
Als wir im Urlaub waren, war das Wetter sehr schön.
- When we were on holiday, the weather was very beautiful.
Die Musik war sehr laut!
- The music was very loud!
Wir hatten zuerst eine Deutschstunde.
- We had a German lesson first.
Exam tip
For Foundation tier students: You only need to know the imperfect forms of haben and sein for all persons, plus modal verbs for ich, du, and er/sie/es forms. Focus your revision on these essential verbs first before moving on to other irregular verbs.
Practice exercise
Practice Exercise: Converting to Imperfect Tense
Try converting these sentences into the imperfect tense:
German to English:
- Er spielte in einer Band.
- Wir hatten zuerst eine Deutschstunde.
English to German: 3. I was buying something to eat. 4. My friend was travelling to Berlin.
Answers:
- He played/was playing in a band.
- We had a German lesson first.
- Ich kaufte etwas zu essen.
- Meine Freundin fuhr nach Berlin.
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- The imperfect tense describes past events and ongoing actions in the past
- Regular verbs follow the pattern: remove -en and add -te, -test, -te, -ten, -tet, -ten
- haben and sein are essential irregular verbs - memorise their complete conjugations
- Foundation tier students should prioritise haben, sein, and modal verbs
- Irregular verbs must be learned individually as they don't follow standard patterns