When I was younger (Edexcel GCSE German): Revision Notes
When I was younger
Als ich jünger war
This topic helps you talk about your childhood experiences and what life was like when you were younger. You'll learn to use the imperfect tense to describe past events and states.
The imperfect tense
The imperfect tense is used to talk about how things used to be in the past. It describes ongoing states or repeated actions that happened regularly.
Important grammar rule: In the imperfect tense, the er/sie/es form is the same as the ich form.
Special note: The phrase es gibt (there is/there are) becomes es gab (there was/there were) in the imperfect tense.
Key imperfect tense verbs
| German | English | German | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich spielte | I played / used to play | ich konnte | I was able to / could |
| ich wohnte | I lived / used to live | ich musste | I had to |
| ich hatte | I had | ich wollte | I wanted to |
| ich war | I was | es gab | there was |
Example sentences using imperfect tense:
- Als ich jünger war, hatte ich oft Angst in der Schule. (When I was younger, I was often scared at school.)
- Mit acht Jahren konnte ich schwimmen. (At eight years old, I could swim.)
- Sie wollte Lehrerin werden. (She wanted to become a teacher.)
- Wir durften nicht alleine zur Schule gehen. (We were not allowed to go to school by ourselves.)
Using 'when' in the past tense
There are two ways to say 'when' in German: als and wenn.
Als vs wenn
| Word | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| als | Use when talking about a specific time in the past | Als ich jünger war, wohnte ich in London. |
| wenn | Use to say 'whenever' (repeated actions) | Wenn es warm war, spielten wir immer Tennis. |
Key point: Both als and wenn send the verb to the end of that clause. The verb in the next clause comes straight after the comma.
Childhood vocabulary
The following vocabulary will help you describe your childhood experiences and talk about things that were important to you when you were younger.
| German | English | German | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| die Schule | school | das Kaninchen | rabbit |
| der Garten | garden | die Kindersendungen | children's programmes |
| das Leben | life | kompliziert | complicated |
| die Katze | cat | glücklich | happy |
| der Hund | dog | schwierig | difficult |
Example sentences in context:
- Als ich ein Kind war, hatte ich ein Kaninchen. (When I was a child, I had a rabbit.)
- Ich spielte oft im Garten. (I often played in the garden.)
- Ich sah gerne Kindersendungen im Fernsehen. (I liked watching children's programmes on television.)
- Mein Leben war nicht so kompliziert, als ich jünger war. (My life was not so complicated when I was younger.)
Translation Practice:
Translate into English:
- Als ich ein Kind war, hatte ich ein Kaninchen.
- Ich spielte oft im Garten.
- Ich sah gerne Kindersendungen.
- Ich malte oft Bilder.
- Ich hatte auch einen kleinen schwarzen Hund, den ich liebte.
Answers:
- When I was a child, I had a rabbit.
- I often played in the garden.
- I liked watching children's programmes.
- I often painted pictures.
- I also had a small black dog that I loved.
Exam tips
Here are some important strategies to help you succeed when using this topic in your German exams:
Exam Strategy Tips:
- Remember to use the imperfect tense when describing ongoing past states or habits
- Watch out for the difference between als (specific past events) and wenn (repeated past events)
- Practice common imperfect forms as they appear frequently in exams
- Include specific details about your childhood to make your writing more interesting
Key Points to Remember:
- The imperfect tense describes how things used to be or what you used to do regularly
- Use als for specific past events and wenn for repeated past actions
- Key verbs change predictably: ich hatte (I had), ich war (I was), ich konnte (I could)
- Es gibt becomes es gab in the past tense
- Both als and wenn send the verb to the end of their clause