Past - Preterite (Leaving Cert German): Revision Notes
Past - Preterite
Overview
The Preterite (das Präteritum) is the second way to express past events in German. This tense serves the same function as the simple past in English and is essential for describing completed actions that happened in the past.
The Preterite works similarly to English simple past - where English adds "-ed" to regular verbs, German has its own system of endings and stem changes.
When to use the Preterite:
- Primarily used in written German (stories, reports, formal writing)
- Rarely used in spoken German, except with certain common verbs like sein (to be) and haben (to have)
- Perfect for narrative writing and formal contexts
Rules & formation
German verbs form the Preterite differently depending on whether they are weak (regular) or strong/mixed (irregular) verbs.
Formation process:
- Take the Preterite stem of the verb
- Add the appropriate personal ending according to the subject
Two main verb groups:
- Weak verbs (regular): Follow predictable patterns with standard endings
- Strong/mixed verbs (irregular): Have stem changes that must be memorised
Conjugation tables
Weak verbs (regular)
Weak verbs add specific endings to their stem. Most verbs that end in stems with t, d, chn, dn, fn, gn or tm require an additional "e" before the ending.
Standard pattern (lernen = to learn):
| Person | Ending | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | stem + te | lernte | I learned |
| du | stem + test | lerntest | you learned |
| er/sie/es | stem + te | lernte | he/she/it learned |
| wir | stem + ten | lernten | we learned |
| ihr | stem + tet | lerntet | you (plural) learned |
| sie | stem + ten | lernten | they learned |
Special pattern for stems ending in t/d (arbeiten = to work):
| Person | Ending | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | stem + e + te | arbeitete | I worked |
| du | stem + e + test | arbeitetest | you worked |
| er/sie/es | stem + e + te | arbeitete | he/she/it worked |
| wir | stem + e + ten | arbeiteten | we worked |
| ihr | stem + e + tet | arbeitetet | you (plural) worked |
| sie | stem + e + ten | arbeiteten | they worked |
Strong/mixed verbs (irregular)
Strong verbs use their specific Preterite form (which must be memorised) and add personal endings.
Pattern for strong verbs (geben = to give, Preterite stem: gab):
| Person | Ending | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | Preterite stem | gab | I gave |
| du | Preterite stem + st | gabst | you gave |
| er/sie/es | Preterite stem | gab | he/she/it gave |
| wir | Preterite stem + en | gaben | we gave |
| ihr | Preterite stem + t | gabt | you (plural) gave |
| sie | Preterite stem + en | gaben | they gave |
Key strong verbs to memorise:
| Infinitive | Preterite | English |
|---|---|---|
| sein | war | was/were |
| haben | hatte | had |
| werden | wurde | became |
| gehen | ging | went |
| kommen | kam | came |
| sehen | sah | saw |
| wissen | wusste | knew |
| bringen | brachte | brought |
| denken | dachte | thought |
Example sentences
Weak verbs in context:
- Ich lernte Deutsch in der Schule. (I learned German at school.)
- Wir arbeiteten den ganzen Tag. (We worked all day.)
- Sie machten ihre Hausaufgaben. (They did their homework.)
Strong verbs in context:
- Er war gestern im Kino. (He was at the cinema yesterday.)
- Ich hatte einen guten Tag. (I had a good day.)
- Wir gingen in den Park. (We went to the park.)
Each example shows how the Preterite describes completed past actions, just like English simple past tense.
Special cases: separable verbs
Separable verbs work the same way in the Preterite as in the present tense - split the prefix and place it at the end of the sentence, then conjugate the main verb normally.
Examples:
- einkaufen (to shop): Ich kaufte gestern ein. (I went shopping yesterday.)
- nachdenken (to think): Sie dachte lange nach. (She thought for a long time.)
Common mistakes & tips
Frequent errors to avoid:
-
Using Preterite in spoken German: Remember that Preterite sounds formal and old-fashioned in conversation. Use Perfect tense (haben/sein + past participle) instead for speaking.
-
Forgetting the extra "e": Verbs with stems ending in t, d, or consonant clusters need an extra "e" before Preterite endings (arbeiten → arbeitete, NOT arbeitete).
-
Confusing strong verb forms: Strong verbs must be memorised individually - there's no pattern to predict their Preterite forms.
-
Wrong endings for "du" and "ihr": Remember that du forms often end in -st and ihr forms end in -t (except with weak verbs where it's -test and -tet).
Helpful tips:
- Learn the three main forms together: Infinitive - Preterite - Past Participle (e.g., gehen - ging - gegangen)
- Practice with common verbs like sein, haben, and werden first, as these appear frequently
- When reading German stories or formal texts, look for Preterite forms to build recognition
Key Points to Remember:
- The Preterite is primarily used in written German for formal and narrative contexts
- Weak verbs follow predictable patterns with standard endings added to the stem
- Strong verbs require memorisation of their individual Preterite forms
- Always add an extra "e" before endings when verb stems end in t, d, or consonant clusters
- In spoken German, use the Perfect tense instead of Preterite for natural-sounding conversation