Regular (weak) verbs: stem + -te
Take the stem (the infinitive without -en), add -te, then the past endings. Ich and er/sie/es are identical. If the stem ends in -t or -d, add -ete so the ending can be heard: arbeitete, redete. It is the same -t you hear in English “walked”.
Strong verbs: a new vowel, and no ending for ich and er
Strong verbs change their stem vowel, just as English says “sing, sang” and “go, went”. The ich and er forms are the bare new stem, with no ending at all. The other persons add the present-tense endings. Most strong verbs here are the same ones whose participle ends in -en.
| Infinitive | er/sie/es | Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| sehen | ▶ sah | e → a | saw |
| geben | ▶ gab | e → a | gave |
| kommen | ▶ kam | o → a | came |
| finden | ▶ fand | i → a | found |
| trinken | ▶ trank | i → a | drank |
| schreiben | ▶ schrieb | ei → ie | wrote |
| bleiben | ▶ blieb | ei → ie | stayed |
| fahren | ▶ fuhr | a → u | drove, went |
| laufen | ▶ lief | au → ie | ran, walked |
| schlafen | ▶ schlief | a → ie | slept |
| stehen | ▶ stand | irregular | stood |
| sitzen | ▶ saß | i → a | sat |
Mixed verbs: a vowel change and -te
A handful of verbs do both: they change the vowel like strong verbs but take -te like weak ones. English has the same group: “bring, brought”, “think, thought”.
The verbs everyone uses in speech
For these verbs, the Präteritum is normal in conversation too, because it is shorter and easier than the perfect. Ich war krank sounds natural; ich bin krank gewesen sounds heavy.
| English | ich | du | er/sie/es | wir | ihr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ seinwas | war | warst | war | waren | wart |
| ▶ habenhad | hatte | hattest | hatte | hatten | hattet |
| ▶ könnencould | konnte | konntest | konnte | konnten | konntet |
| ▶ müssenhad to | musste | musstest | musste | mussten | musstet |
| ▶ wollenwanted | wollte | wolltest | wollte | wollten | wolltet |
| ▶ dürfenwas allowed | durfte | durftest | durfte | durften | durftet |
| ▶ werdenbecame | wurde | wurdest | wurde | wurden | wurdet |
Modal verbs lose their umlaut in the past: können → konnte, müssen → musste, dürfen → durfte. Es gibt (there is) becomes es gab (there was).
One story, two registers
The same weekend told to a friend, then written in a diary-style blog post. Choose a version to compare the verbs.
A fairy-tale opening
The classic register of the Präteritum, in the style of the Brothers Grimm. Past verbs are in red. Every word has its English meaning underneath.
- Why: Es war einmal: the fixed opening of German fairy tales. War, from sein.EsitwarwaseinmalonceeinaarmerpoorMüller.milleres vahr INE-mahl ine AR-mer MÜ-ler “Once upon a time there was a poor miller.”
- Why: Hatte, from haben. Schöne: feminine accusative after eine.ErhehattehadeineaschönebeautifulTochter.daughterair HAH-tuh INE-uh SHÖ-nuh TOKH-ter “He had a beautiful daughter.”
- Why: Eines Tages, a genitive time phrase meaning “one day”. Ging, strong: no ending for er.EinesoneTagesdaygingwenterhezumto-theKönig.kingINE-us TAH-gus ging air tsoom KÖ-nikh “One day he went to the king.”
- Why: Sah from sehen, sprach from sprechen: both strong, e → a.DertheKönigkingsahsawdastheMädchengirlundandsprach:spokedair KÖ-nikh zah dahs MAYT-khun oont SHPRAHKH “The king saw the girl and said:”
- Why: Direct speech returns to the present tense.„MorgentomorrowfrühearlymusstmustduyouStrohstrawzutoGoldgoldspinnen.“spinMOR-gun FRÜ moost doo SHTROH tsoo GOLT SHPIN-un ““Tomorrow morning you must spin straw into gold.””
Der Kanzler sagte …: the Präteritum in the news
News reports are written almost entirely in the Präteritum. Recognising these forms lets you read any German newspaper.
War, hatte, konnte: the forms everyone uses
Even in speech, Germans use the Präteritum for sein, haben and the modal verbs. Modals lose their umlaut.