Введение
Немецкие глаголы можно классифицировать как слабые, с использованием зубного согласного в окончании, или сильные, демонстрирующие чередование гласных (аблаут). Обе эти системы являются правильными. Большинство глаголов обоих типов правильны, хотя встречаются различные подгруппы и исключения; однако в учебниках для изучающих часто все сильные глаголы относят к неправильным. Единственный полностью неправильный глагол в языке — sein (быть). Существует более 200 сильных и неправильных глаголов, но, как и в английском языке, наблюдается тенденция к переходу сильных глаголов в разряд слабых. Поскольку немецкий язык относится к германской группе, немецкий глагол исторически можно рассматривать как развитие германского глагола.
German verbs may be classified as either weak, with a dental consonant inflection, or strong, showing a vowel gradation (ablaut). Both of these are regular systems. Most verbs of both types are regular, though various subgroups and anomalies do arise; however, textbooks for learners often class all strong verbs as irregular. The only completely irregular verb in the language is sein (to be). There are more than 200 strong and irregular verbs, but just as in English, there is a gradual tendency for strong verbs to become weak. As German is a Germanic language, the German verb can be understood historically as a development of the Germanic verb.
Немецкие префиксы
Это общий обзор наиболее важных немецких префиксов. Пример: "legen" (класть, ложить).
This is a general view of the most important German prefixes. The example is "legen" (to lay)
Префикс | Глагол | Буквальный перевод | Перевод
------- | -------- | -------- | --------
ab | legen | класть вниз | оставлять что-либо, отказываться от чего-либо.
an | legen | класть на | прикреплять, пристыковывать, инвестировать.
auf | legen | класть вверх | применять, накладывать.
aus | legen | раскладывать | раскладывать что-либо, выставлять.
bei | legen | класть у/при | добавлять.
dar | legen | класть там | указывать на что-либо.
ein | legen | вкладывать | инкрустировать, вставлять.
ent | legen | удалять, отдалять | удалённый, отдалённый (примечание: entlegen – прилагательное, а не глагол).
er | legen | достигать кладки | убивать, успешно завершать.
ge | legt | положенный | причастие прошедшего времени.
ge | legen | быть положенным | расположенный, находящийся, подходящий (примечание: gelegen – прилагательное, а не глагол).
hin | legen | класть сюда | класть, укладывать, спать, дремать.
her | legen | класть здесь | располагать, придумывать, устраивать.
nach | legen | класть после | добавлять, накладывать ещё.
nieder | legen | класть вниз | класть предмет, покидать должность, ложиться (также: засыпать).
über | legen | класть сверху | думать о чём-либо.
um | legen | класть вокруг/снова | распределять, выделять, также: убивать.
unter | legen | класть под | подкладывать, помещать под что-либо.
ver | legen | откладывать в сторону | стесняться (прилагательное), терять (глагол), редактировать (книги, газеты).
vor | legen | класть перед | представлять, приносить, выкладывать.
weg | legen | класть в сторону | убирать, откладывать.
wider | legen | класть против | опровергать.
zer | legen | класть на части | разбирать на части, демонтировать.
zu | legen | класть к | надевать, покупать что-то новое.
zusammen | legen | класть вместе | объединять, накапливать.
PrefixVerbLiterallyTranslation ab legen to lay down to lay down to abandon something. an legen to lay on to attach something. to dock to invest auf legen to lay up to apply aus legen to lay out to lay something out bei legen to lay at/by to add dar legen to lay there to point something out ein legen to lay in to inlay ent legen dis lay faraway, outlying Note: entlegen is an adjective and not a verb. er legen to achieve lay to kill/ to conclude successfully ge legt laid participle perfect ge legen to be laid seated, situated, opportune Note: gelegen is an adjective and not a verb. hin legen to lay hence to put down to sleep to take a nap her legen to lay here to dispose to concoct to arrange nach legen to lay after to put some more of something on nieder legen to lay down to put down an object / to lay down an office / to lie down also: to go to sleep über legen to lay over to think about something. um legen to lay around/over again to allocate, also: to kill unter legen to lay under to put under ver legen to lay aside to be shy [adjective] / to lose [verb] to edit (books, newspaper) vor legen to lay previous to something. to bring something. before so. weg legen to lay away to put away wider legen to lay against to disprove zer legen to lay something. in pieces to dismantle zu legen to lay to something to put on / to buy something new zusammen legen to lay together to pool something
Присловия
Можно использовать любую обстоятельственную фразу или наречие, упомянутые выше. Но будьте осторожны с модальными глаголами, так как они изменяют смысл и структуру предложения.
One can use any kind of adverbial phrase or native adverb mentioned above. But beware of modal verbs, they change the meaning and phrase of the sentence.
Составные инфинитивы
Составные инфинитивы могут быть образованы с помощью модальных или вспомогательных глаголов. После основного инфинитива ставится новый инфинитив. Затем этот внешний инфинитив спрягается вместо исходного внутреннего инфинитива. В некоторых случаях исходный инфинитив необходимо преобразовать в страдательное причастие.
Compound infinitives can be constructed by the usage of modal verbs or auxiliary verbs. One places a new infinitive behind the main infinitive. Then this outer infinitive will be conjugated instead of the old inner infinitive. Sometimes one must turn the old infinitive into a passive participle.
Рефлексивные глаголы
Некоторые глаголы требуют использования возвратного местоимения. Эти глаголы известны как возвратные глаголы. В английском языке это часто слегка измененные версии обычных глаголов, например, "to sit down", которое произносится как "to sit oneself down".
Some verbs require the use of a reflexive pronoun. These verbs are known as reflexive verbs. In English, these are often slightly modified versions of ordinary verbs, such as "to sit down" spoken as "to sit oneself down".
Причастные и словесные существительные
В этом разделе подробно рассматривается образование от основного инфинитива словесных существительных и словесных прилагательных. Процесс одинаков как для простых, так и для сложных инфинитивов. При образовании сложных инфинитивов наречные и объектные обороты не учитываются и не влияют на этот процесс, если иное не указано.
This section details the construction of verbal nouns and verbal adjectives from the main infinitive. The processes are the same both for simple and complex infinitives. For complex infinitives, adverbial phrases and object phrases are ignored, they do not affect this process; except something else is mentioned.
Тензионные
Хотя в немецком языке шесть времен, только два из них простые; остальные – сложные и, следовательно, основаны на простых конструкциях. Времена очень похожи на английские конструкции. Спряжение включает в себя три лица, два числа (единственное и множественное), три наклонения (изъявительное, повелительное и сослагательное) и два простых времени (настоящее и претерит). Сослагательное наклонение настоящего почти никогда не используется в разговорном немецком языке (и относительно редко в письменном немецком языке); сослагательное наклонение прошедшего времени более распространено, по крайней мере, для некоторых часто употребляемых глаголов (ich wäre, ich hätte, ich käme и т. д.). Последнее используется как условное наклонение в немецком языке (англ. I would). Носителям английского языка следует отметить, что немецкие времена не несут информации об аспекте. В стандартном немецком языке нет прогрессивных времен. Das Mädchen geht zur Schule может означать «Девочка идет в школу», а также «Девочка идет в школу». Чтобы внести видимое различие помимо контекста, необходимо использовать наречие. В разговорном немецком языке, особенно в районах Рейнланда и Рура, существует настоящее прогрессивное время, известное как rheinische Verlaufsform. Оно образуется с помощью глагола sein («быть») + am («в») + деепричастия. Например: Ich bin am Essen. – Я ем; Ich bin das Auto am Reparieren. – Я ремонтирую машину. Однако эта форма редко используется в письменной речи и не используется в формальной разговорной речи. Второй вид прогрессивного времени образуется с помощью глагола sein («быть») + причастие настоящего времени и является буквальным переводом английского прогрессивного времени (для настоящего и прошедшего). Например: Ich bin/war essend. – Я ем/ел; Ich bin/war das Auto reparierend. – Я ремонтирую/ремонтировал машину. В отличие от rheinische Verlaufsform, это прогрессивное время является формально правильной особенностью стандартного немецкого языка; однако оно очень редко встречается как в разговорной, так и в формальной речи. Если оно используется, то часто может показаться громоздким или неестественным, за исключением конкретных устоявшихся случаев. Эта форма также отличается от других немецких времен тем, что имеет очень однозначный прогрессивный аспект. Как показано ниже, немецкий язык не очень строг в использовании времен. Более точные времена доступны для выражения определенных временных нюансов, но оба наиболее распространенных времени (настоящее и перфект) часто могут использоваться вместо них, если контекст недвусмысленный.
Although there are six tenses in German, only two are simple; the others are compound and therefore build on the simple constructions. The tenses are quite similar to English constructions. Conjugation includes three persons, two numbers (singular and plural), three moods (indicative, imperative and subjunctive), and two simple tenses (present and preterite). The subjunctive of the present is almost never used in colloquial German (and relatively infrequent in written German as well); the subjunctive of the past is more common, at least for some frequent verbs (ich wäre, ich hätte, ich käme etc.). The latter is used like a conditional mood in German (English: I would). English native speakers should note that German tenses do not carry aspect information. There are no progressive tenses in standard German. Das Mädchen geht zur Schule may mean "The girl goes to school" as well as "The girl is going to school". One must use an adverb to make a visible difference aside from the context. In colloquial spoken German, in particular in the Rhineland and Ruhr areas, a present progressive tense does exist and is known as the rheinische Verlaufsform. It is formed with the verb sein ("to be") + am ("at the") + verbal noun. For example: Ich bin am Essen. – I am eating; Ich bin das Auto am Reparieren. – I'm fixing the car. However, this form is rarely used in writing and is not used in formal spoken German. A second kind of progressive tense is formed with the verb sein ("to be") + present participle, and is the literal translation of the English progressive tense (for present and past). For example: Ich bin/war essend. – I am/was eating; Ich bin/war das Auto reparierend. – I am/was fixing the car. In contrast to the rheinische Verlaufsform, this progressive tense is a formally correct feature of standard German; however, it is very uncommon in both colloquial German and formal German. If it is used, it often may appear unwieldy or unnatural, except for specific usual cases. This form also differs from the other German tenses in that it has a very unambiguous progressive aspect. As is shown in the following, German is not very rigid in its usage of tenses. More precise tenses are available to express certain temporal nuances, but both of the most common tenses (present tense and perfect tense) can often be used instead if the context is unambiguous. Present (Präsens) – It is the present conjugated form of the infinitive. It is the most important tense in German. The Present tense is mainly used for simple present, present progressive, as well as for future. It is also used for historical past. Example: Ich kaufe das Auto. ("I buy the car")
Preterite (Imperfekt, Präteritum) – It is the past conjugated form of the infinitive. This past tense is mainly used in written German and formal speech, except for some frequent verbs whose preterite forms are common colloquially (such as ich war, ich hatte, ich kam). It is also used for past progressive. Otherwise, the perfect is much preferred in colloquial language, but in northern regions of Germany it is more frequently used. Example: Ich kaufte das Auto. ("I bought the car")
Perfect (Perfekt) – It is the present conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. This tense has (widely) the same meaning as the preterite and very often replaces the latter in colloquial German. An English perfect tense is often expressed by the present in German. For example, "I have lived in Germany for three years now." → Ich lebe jetzt seit drei Jahren in Deutschland. (Literally "I live now for three years in Germany.") Example: Ich habe das Auto gekauft. ("I (have) bought the car")
Pluperfect / past perfect (Plusquamperfekt) – It is the past conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. It can be thought of as the perfect form of the preterite, used to describe what already had happened at a certain point in the past. If the context is unambiguous, the perfect or preterite may be used instead (as in English). Example: Ich hatte das Auto gekauft. ("I had bought the car")
Future (Futur I) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive. It generally describes the future but may also express an assumption for the present. In contrast to English, the future tense is usually replaced by the present tense if the future meaning is already evident from the context. For example, "In ten years I'll be old" → In zehn Jahren bin ich alt. (Literally: "In ten years am I old.") This is particularly common in colloquial German but is also correct in writing. Example: Ich werde das Auto kaufen. ("I will buy the car")
Future perfect (Futur II) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive of the perfect infinitive. It describes what will have happened at a certain point in the future (past of the future), but the simple perfect, or even present (and by a common pupils' mistake, Futur I, but that is universally judged to be incorrect), is preferred instead if the future meaning is evident from the context. More commonly, the future perfect expresses an assumption for the past: Er wird einen Unfall gehabt haben. ("He will [probably] have had an accident.") Example: Ich werde das Auto gekauft haben. ("I'll have bought the car")
Preterite (Imperfekt, Präteritum) – It is the past conjugated form of the infinitive. This past tense is mainly used in written German and formal speech, except for some frequent verbs whose preterite forms are common colloquially (such as ich war, ich hatte, ich kam). It is also used for past progressive. Otherwise, the perfect is much preferred in colloquial language, but in northern regions of Germany it is more frequently used. Example: Ich kaufte das Auto. ("I bought the car")
Perfect (Perfekt) – It is the present conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. This tense has (widely) the same meaning as the preterite and very often replaces the latter in colloquial German. An English perfect tense is often expressed by the present in German. For example, "I have lived in Germany for three years now." → Ich lebe jetzt seit drei Jahren in Deutschland. (Literally "I live now for three years in Germany.") Example: Ich habe das Auto gekauft. ("I (have) bought the car")
Pluperfect / past perfect (Plusquamperfekt) – It is the past conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. It can be thought of as the perfect form of the preterite, used to describe what already had happened at a certain point in the past. If the context is unambiguous, the perfect or preterite may be used instead (as in English). Example: Ich hatte das Auto gekauft. ("I had bought the car")
Future (Futur I) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive. It generally describes the future but may also express an assumption for the present. In contrast to English, the future tense is usually replaced by the present tense if the future meaning is already evident from the context. For example, "In ten years I'll be old" → In zehn Jahren bin ich alt. (Literally: "In ten years am I old.") This is particularly common in colloquial German but is also correct in writing. Example: Ich werde das Auto kaufen. ("I will buy the car")
Future perfect (Futur II) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive of the perfect infinitive. It describes what will have happened at a certain point in the future (past of the future), but the simple perfect, or even present (and by a common pupils' mistake, Futur I, but that is universally judged to be incorrect), is preferred instead if the future meaning is evident from the context. More commonly, the future perfect expresses an assumption for the past: Er wird einen Unfall gehabt haben. ("He will [probably] have had an accident.") Example: Ich werde das Auto gekauft haben. ("I'll have bought the car")
Настоящее (Präsens) – Это настоящая спрягаемая форма инфинитива. Это самое важное время в немецком языке. Настоящее время используется в основном для обозначения простого настоящего, настоящего прогрессивного, а также будущего времени. Оно также используется для обозначения исторического прошлого. Пример: Ich kaufe das Auto. («Я покупаю машину»)
Although there are six tenses in German, only two are simple; the others are compound and therefore build on the simple constructions. The tenses are quite similar to English constructions. Conjugation includes three persons, two numbers (singular and plural), three moods (indicative, imperative and subjunctive), and two simple tenses (present and preterite). The subjunctive of the present is almost never used in colloquial German (and relatively infrequent in written German as well); the subjunctive of the past is more common, at least for some frequent verbs (ich wäre, ich hätte, ich käme etc.). The latter is used like a conditional mood in German (English: I would). English native speakers should note that German tenses do not carry aspect information. There are no progressive tenses in standard German. Das Mädchen geht zur Schule may mean "The girl goes to school" as well as "The girl is going to school". One must use an adverb to make a visible difference aside from the context. In colloquial spoken German, in particular in the Rhineland and Ruhr areas, a present progressive tense does exist and is known as the rheinische Verlaufsform. It is formed with the verb sein ("to be") + am ("at the") + verbal noun. For example: Ich bin am Essen. – I am eating; Ich bin das Auto am Reparieren. – I'm fixing the car. However, this form is rarely used in writing and is not used in formal spoken German. A second kind of progressive tense is formed with the verb sein ("to be") + present participle, and is the literal translation of the English progressive tense (for present and past). For example: Ich bin/war essend. – I am/was eating; Ich bin/war das Auto reparierend. – I am/was fixing the car. In contrast to the rheinische Verlaufsform, this progressive tense is a formally correct feature of standard German; however, it is very uncommon in both colloquial German and formal German. If it is used, it often may appear unwieldy or unnatural, except for specific usual cases. This form also differs from the other German tenses in that it has a very unambiguous progressive aspect. As is shown in the following, German is not very rigid in its usage of tenses. More precise tenses are available to express certain temporal nuances, but both of the most common tenses (present tense and perfect tense) can often be used instead if the context is unambiguous. Present (Präsens) – It is the present conjugated form of the infinitive. It is the most important tense in German. The Present tense is mainly used for simple present, present progressive, as well as for future. It is also used for historical past. Example: Ich kaufe das Auto. ("I buy the car")
Preterite (Imperfekt, Präteritum) – It is the past conjugated form of the infinitive. This past tense is mainly used in written German and formal speech, except for some frequent verbs whose preterite forms are common colloquially (such as ich war, ich hatte, ich kam). It is also used for past progressive. Otherwise, the perfect is much preferred in colloquial language, but in northern regions of Germany it is more frequently used. Example: Ich kaufte das Auto. ("I bought the car")
Perfect (Perfekt) – It is the present conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. This tense has (widely) the same meaning as the preterite and very often replaces the latter in colloquial German. An English perfect tense is often expressed by the present in German. For example, "I have lived in Germany for three years now." → Ich lebe jetzt seit drei Jahren in Deutschland. (Literally "I live now for three years in Germany.") Example: Ich habe das Auto gekauft. ("I (have) bought the car")
Pluperfect / past perfect (Plusquamperfekt) – It is the past conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. It can be thought of as the perfect form of the preterite, used to describe what already had happened at a certain point in the past. If the context is unambiguous, the perfect or preterite may be used instead (as in English). Example: Ich hatte das Auto gekauft. ("I had bought the car")
Future (Futur I) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive. It generally describes the future but may also express an assumption for the present. In contrast to English, the future tense is usually replaced by the present tense if the future meaning is already evident from the context. For example, "In ten years I'll be old" → In zehn Jahren bin ich alt. (Literally: "In ten years am I old.") This is particularly common in colloquial German but is also correct in writing. Example: Ich werde das Auto kaufen. ("I will buy the car")
Future perfect (Futur II) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive of the perfect infinitive. It describes what will have happened at a certain point in the future (past of the future), but the simple perfect, or even present (and by a common pupils' mistake, Futur I, but that is universally judged to be incorrect), is preferred instead if the future meaning is evident from the context. More commonly, the future perfect expresses an assumption for the past: Er wird einen Unfall gehabt haben. ("He will [probably] have had an accident.") Example: Ich werde das Auto gekauft haben. ("I'll have bought the car")
Preterite (Imperfekt, Präteritum) – It is the past conjugated form of the infinitive. This past tense is mainly used in written German and formal speech, except for some frequent verbs whose preterite forms are common colloquially (such as ich war, ich hatte, ich kam). It is also used for past progressive. Otherwise, the perfect is much preferred in colloquial language, but in northern regions of Germany it is more frequently used. Example: Ich kaufte das Auto. ("I bought the car")
Perfect (Perfekt) – It is the present conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. This tense has (widely) the same meaning as the preterite and very often replaces the latter in colloquial German. An English perfect tense is often expressed by the present in German. For example, "I have lived in Germany for three years now." → Ich lebe jetzt seit drei Jahren in Deutschland. (Literally "I live now for three years in Germany.") Example: Ich habe das Auto gekauft. ("I (have) bought the car")
Pluperfect / past perfect (Plusquamperfekt) – It is the past conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. It can be thought of as the perfect form of the preterite, used to describe what already had happened at a certain point in the past. If the context is unambiguous, the perfect or preterite may be used instead (as in English). Example: Ich hatte das Auto gekauft. ("I had bought the car")
Future (Futur I) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive. It generally describes the future but may also express an assumption for the present. In contrast to English, the future tense is usually replaced by the present tense if the future meaning is already evident from the context. For example, "In ten years I'll be old" → In zehn Jahren bin ich alt. (Literally: "In ten years am I old.") This is particularly common in colloquial German but is also correct in writing. Example: Ich werde das Auto kaufen. ("I will buy the car")
Future perfect (Futur II) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive of the perfect infinitive. It describes what will have happened at a certain point in the future (past of the future), but the simple perfect, or even present (and by a common pupils' mistake, Futur I, but that is universally judged to be incorrect), is preferred instead if the future meaning is evident from the context. More commonly, the future perfect expresses an assumption for the past: Er wird einen Unfall gehabt haben. ("He will [probably] have had an accident.") Example: Ich werde das Auto gekauft haben. ("I'll have bought the car")
Претерит (Imperfekt, Präteritum) – Это прошедшая спрягаемая форма инфинитива. Это прошедшее время в основном используется в письменной немецкой речи и формальной речи, за исключением некоторых часто употребляемых глаголов, чьи формы претерита распространены в разговорной речи (например, ich war, ich hatte, ich kam). Оно также используется для обозначения прошедшего прогрессивного времени. В остальных случаях в разговорной речи предпочтительнее употреблять перфект, но в северных регионах Германии оно используется чаще. Пример: Ich kaufte das Auto. («Я купил машину»)
Although there are six tenses in German, only two are simple; the others are compound and therefore build on the simple constructions. The tenses are quite similar to English constructions. Conjugation includes three persons, two numbers (singular and plural), three moods (indicative, imperative and subjunctive), and two simple tenses (present and preterite). The subjunctive of the present is almost never used in colloquial German (and relatively infrequent in written German as well); the subjunctive of the past is more common, at least for some frequent verbs (ich wäre, ich hätte, ich käme etc.). The latter is used like a conditional mood in German (English: I would). English native speakers should note that German tenses do not carry aspect information. There are no progressive tenses in standard German. Das Mädchen geht zur Schule may mean "The girl goes to school" as well as "The girl is going to school". One must use an adverb to make a visible difference aside from the context. In colloquial spoken German, in particular in the Rhineland and Ruhr areas, a present progressive tense does exist and is known as the rheinische Verlaufsform. It is formed with the verb sein ("to be") + am ("at the") + verbal noun. For example: Ich bin am Essen. – I am eating; Ich bin das Auto am Reparieren. – I'm fixing the car. However, this form is rarely used in writing and is not used in formal spoken German. A second kind of progressive tense is formed with the verb sein ("to be") + present participle, and is the literal translation of the English progressive tense (for present and past). For example: Ich bin/war essend. – I am/was eating; Ich bin/war das Auto reparierend. – I am/was fixing the car. In contrast to the rheinische Verlaufsform, this progressive tense is a formally correct feature of standard German; however, it is very uncommon in both colloquial German and formal German. If it is used, it often may appear unwieldy or unnatural, except for specific usual cases. This form also differs from the other German tenses in that it has a very unambiguous progressive aspect. As is shown in the following, German is not very rigid in its usage of tenses. More precise tenses are available to express certain temporal nuances, but both of the most common tenses (present tense and perfect tense) can often be used instead if the context is unambiguous. Present (Präsens) – It is the present conjugated form of the infinitive. It is the most important tense in German. The Present tense is mainly used for simple present, present progressive, as well as for future. It is also used for historical past. Example: Ich kaufe das Auto. ("I buy the car")
Preterite (Imperfekt, Präteritum) – It is the past conjugated form of the infinitive. This past tense is mainly used in written German and formal speech, except for some frequent verbs whose preterite forms are common colloquially (such as ich war, ich hatte, ich kam). It is also used for past progressive. Otherwise, the perfect is much preferred in colloquial language, but in northern regions of Germany it is more frequently used. Example: Ich kaufte das Auto. ("I bought the car")
Perfect (Perfekt) – It is the present conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. This tense has (widely) the same meaning as the preterite and very often replaces the latter in colloquial German. An English perfect tense is often expressed by the present in German. For example, "I have lived in Germany for three years now." → Ich lebe jetzt seit drei Jahren in Deutschland. (Literally "I live now for three years in Germany.") Example: Ich habe das Auto gekauft. ("I (have) bought the car")
Pluperfect / past perfect (Plusquamperfekt) – It is the past conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. It can be thought of as the perfect form of the preterite, used to describe what already had happened at a certain point in the past. If the context is unambiguous, the perfect or preterite may be used instead (as in English). Example: Ich hatte das Auto gekauft. ("I had bought the car")
Future (Futur I) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive. It generally describes the future but may also express an assumption for the present. In contrast to English, the future tense is usually replaced by the present tense if the future meaning is already evident from the context. For example, "In ten years I'll be old" → In zehn Jahren bin ich alt. (Literally: "In ten years am I old.") This is particularly common in colloquial German but is also correct in writing. Example: Ich werde das Auto kaufen. ("I will buy the car")
Future perfect (Futur II) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive of the perfect infinitive. It describes what will have happened at a certain point in the future (past of the future), but the simple perfect, or even present (and by a common pupils' mistake, Futur I, but that is universally judged to be incorrect), is preferred instead if the future meaning is evident from the context. More commonly, the future perfect expresses an assumption for the past: Er wird einen Unfall gehabt haben. ("He will [probably] have had an accident.") Example: Ich werde das Auto gekauft haben. ("I'll have bought the car")
Preterite (Imperfekt, Präteritum) – It is the past conjugated form of the infinitive. This past tense is mainly used in written German and formal speech, except for some frequent verbs whose preterite forms are common colloquially (such as ich war, ich hatte, ich kam). It is also used for past progressive. Otherwise, the perfect is much preferred in colloquial language, but in northern regions of Germany it is more frequently used. Example: Ich kaufte das Auto. ("I bought the car")
Perfect (Perfekt) – It is the present conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. This tense has (widely) the same meaning as the preterite and very often replaces the latter in colloquial German. An English perfect tense is often expressed by the present in German. For example, "I have lived in Germany for three years now." → Ich lebe jetzt seit drei Jahren in Deutschland. (Literally "I live now for three years in Germany.") Example: Ich habe das Auto gekauft. ("I (have) bought the car")
Pluperfect / past perfect (Plusquamperfekt) – It is the past conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. It can be thought of as the perfect form of the preterite, used to describe what already had happened at a certain point in the past. If the context is unambiguous, the perfect or preterite may be used instead (as in English). Example: Ich hatte das Auto gekauft. ("I had bought the car")
Future (Futur I) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive. It generally describes the future but may also express an assumption for the present. In contrast to English, the future tense is usually replaced by the present tense if the future meaning is already evident from the context. For example, "In ten years I'll be old" → In zehn Jahren bin ich alt. (Literally: "In ten years am I old.") This is particularly common in colloquial German but is also correct in writing. Example: Ich werde das Auto kaufen. ("I will buy the car")
Future perfect (Futur II) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive of the perfect infinitive. It describes what will have happened at a certain point in the future (past of the future), but the simple perfect, or even present (and by a common pupils' mistake, Futur I, but that is universally judged to be incorrect), is preferred instead if the future meaning is evident from the context. More commonly, the future perfect expresses an assumption for the past: Er wird einen Unfall gehabt haben. ("He will [probably] have had an accident.") Example: Ich werde das Auto gekauft haben. ("I'll have bought the car")
Перфект (Perfekt) – Это настоящая спрягаемая форма перфектного инфинитива. Это время (в широком смысле) имеет то же значение, что и претерит, и очень часто заменяет его в разговорном немецком языке. Английское перфектное время часто выражается настоящим временем в немецком языке. Например: «Я живу в Германии уже три года». → Ich lebe jetzt seit drei Jahren in Deutschland. (Буквально «Я живу сейчас уже три года в Германии».) Пример: Ich habe das Auto gekauft. («Я (уже) купил машину»)
Although there are six tenses in German, only two are simple; the others are compound and therefore build on the simple constructions. The tenses are quite similar to English constructions. Conjugation includes three persons, two numbers (singular and plural), three moods (indicative, imperative and subjunctive), and two simple tenses (present and preterite). The subjunctive of the present is almost never used in colloquial German (and relatively infrequent in written German as well); the subjunctive of the past is more common, at least for some frequent verbs (ich wäre, ich hätte, ich käme etc.). The latter is used like a conditional mood in German (English: I would). English native speakers should note that German tenses do not carry aspect information. There are no progressive tenses in standard German. Das Mädchen geht zur Schule may mean "The girl goes to school" as well as "The girl is going to school". One must use an adverb to make a visible difference aside from the context. In colloquial spoken German, in particular in the Rhineland and Ruhr areas, a present progressive tense does exist and is known as the rheinische Verlaufsform. It is formed with the verb sein ("to be") + am ("at the") + verbal noun. For example: Ich bin am Essen. – I am eating; Ich bin das Auto am Reparieren. – I'm fixing the car. However, this form is rarely used in writing and is not used in formal spoken German. A second kind of progressive tense is formed with the verb sein ("to be") + present participle, and is the literal translation of the English progressive tense (for present and past). For example: Ich bin/war essend. – I am/was eating; Ich bin/war das Auto reparierend. – I am/was fixing the car. In contrast to the rheinische Verlaufsform, this progressive tense is a formally correct feature of standard German; however, it is very uncommon in both colloquial German and formal German. If it is used, it often may appear unwieldy or unnatural, except for specific usual cases. This form also differs from the other German tenses in that it has a very unambiguous progressive aspect. As is shown in the following, German is not very rigid in its usage of tenses. More precise tenses are available to express certain temporal nuances, but both of the most common tenses (present tense and perfect tense) can often be used instead if the context is unambiguous. Present (Präsens) – It is the present conjugated form of the infinitive. It is the most important tense in German. The Present tense is mainly used for simple present, present progressive, as well as for future. It is also used for historical past. Example: Ich kaufe das Auto. ("I buy the car")
Preterite (Imperfekt, Präteritum) – It is the past conjugated form of the infinitive. This past tense is mainly used in written German and formal speech, except for some frequent verbs whose preterite forms are common colloquially (such as ich war, ich hatte, ich kam). It is also used for past progressive. Otherwise, the perfect is much preferred in colloquial language, but in northern regions of Germany it is more frequently used. Example: Ich kaufte das Auto. ("I bought the car")
Perfect (Perfekt) – It is the present conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. This tense has (widely) the same meaning as the preterite and very often replaces the latter in colloquial German. An English perfect tense is often expressed by the present in German. For example, "I have lived in Germany for three years now." → Ich lebe jetzt seit drei Jahren in Deutschland. (Literally "I live now for three years in Germany.") Example: Ich habe das Auto gekauft. ("I (have) bought the car")
Pluperfect / past perfect (Plusquamperfekt) – It is the past conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. It can be thought of as the perfect form of the preterite, used to describe what already had happened at a certain point in the past. If the context is unambiguous, the perfect or preterite may be used instead (as in English). Example: Ich hatte das Auto gekauft. ("I had bought the car")
Future (Futur I) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive. It generally describes the future but may also express an assumption for the present. In contrast to English, the future tense is usually replaced by the present tense if the future meaning is already evident from the context. For example, "In ten years I'll be old" → In zehn Jahren bin ich alt. (Literally: "In ten years am I old.") This is particularly common in colloquial German but is also correct in writing. Example: Ich werde das Auto kaufen. ("I will buy the car")
Future perfect (Futur II) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive of the perfect infinitive. It describes what will have happened at a certain point in the future (past of the future), but the simple perfect, or even present (and by a common pupils' mistake, Futur I, but that is universally judged to be incorrect), is preferred instead if the future meaning is evident from the context. More commonly, the future perfect expresses an assumption for the past: Er wird einen Unfall gehabt haben. ("He will [probably] have had an accident.") Example: Ich werde das Auto gekauft haben. ("I'll have bought the car")
Preterite (Imperfekt, Präteritum) – It is the past conjugated form of the infinitive. This past tense is mainly used in written German and formal speech, except for some frequent verbs whose preterite forms are common colloquially (such as ich war, ich hatte, ich kam). It is also used for past progressive. Otherwise, the perfect is much preferred in colloquial language, but in northern regions of Germany it is more frequently used. Example: Ich kaufte das Auto. ("I bought the car")
Perfect (Perfekt) – It is the present conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. This tense has (widely) the same meaning as the preterite and very often replaces the latter in colloquial German. An English perfect tense is often expressed by the present in German. For example, "I have lived in Germany for three years now." → Ich lebe jetzt seit drei Jahren in Deutschland. (Literally "I live now for three years in Germany.") Example: Ich habe das Auto gekauft. ("I (have) bought the car")
Pluperfect / past perfect (Plusquamperfekt) – It is the past conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. It can be thought of as the perfect form of the preterite, used to describe what already had happened at a certain point in the past. If the context is unambiguous, the perfect or preterite may be used instead (as in English). Example: Ich hatte das Auto gekauft. ("I had bought the car")
Future (Futur I) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive. It generally describes the future but may also express an assumption for the present. In contrast to English, the future tense is usually replaced by the present tense if the future meaning is already evident from the context. For example, "In ten years I'll be old" → In zehn Jahren bin ich alt. (Literally: "In ten years am I old.") This is particularly common in colloquial German but is also correct in writing. Example: Ich werde das Auto kaufen. ("I will buy the car")
Future perfect (Futur II) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive of the perfect infinitive. It describes what will have happened at a certain point in the future (past of the future), but the simple perfect, or even present (and by a common pupils' mistake, Futur I, but that is universally judged to be incorrect), is preferred instead if the future meaning is evident from the context. More commonly, the future perfect expresses an assumption for the past: Er wird einen Unfall gehabt haben. ("He will [probably] have had an accident.") Example: Ich werde das Auto gekauft haben. ("I'll have bought the car")
Плюперфект / перфект прошедшего времени (Plusquamperfekt) – Это прошедшая спрягаемая форма перфектного инфинитива. Его можно рассматривать как перфектную форму претерита, используемую для описания того, что уже произошло к определенному моменту в прошлом. Если контекст недвусмысленный, вместо него можно использовать перфект или претерит (как и в английском языке). Пример: Ich hatte das Auto gekauft. («Я уже купил машину»)
Although there are six tenses in German, only two are simple; the others are compound and therefore build on the simple constructions. The tenses are quite similar to English constructions. Conjugation includes three persons, two numbers (singular and plural), three moods (indicative, imperative and subjunctive), and two simple tenses (present and preterite). The subjunctive of the present is almost never used in colloquial German (and relatively infrequent in written German as well); the subjunctive of the past is more common, at least for some frequent verbs (ich wäre, ich hätte, ich käme etc.). The latter is used like a conditional mood in German (English: I would). English native speakers should note that German tenses do not carry aspect information. There are no progressive tenses in standard German. Das Mädchen geht zur Schule may mean "The girl goes to school" as well as "The girl is going to school". One must use an adverb to make a visible difference aside from the context. In colloquial spoken German, in particular in the Rhineland and Ruhr areas, a present progressive tense does exist and is known as the rheinische Verlaufsform. It is formed with the verb sein ("to be") + am ("at the") + verbal noun. For example: Ich bin am Essen. – I am eating; Ich bin das Auto am Reparieren. – I'm fixing the car. However, this form is rarely used in writing and is not used in formal spoken German. A second kind of progressive tense is formed with the verb sein ("to be") + present participle, and is the literal translation of the English progressive tense (for present and past). For example: Ich bin/war essend. – I am/was eating; Ich bin/war das Auto reparierend. – I am/was fixing the car. In contrast to the rheinische Verlaufsform, this progressive tense is a formally correct feature of standard German; however, it is very uncommon in both colloquial German and formal German. If it is used, it often may appear unwieldy or unnatural, except for specific usual cases. This form also differs from the other German tenses in that it has a very unambiguous progressive aspect. As is shown in the following, German is not very rigid in its usage of tenses. More precise tenses are available to express certain temporal nuances, but both of the most common tenses (present tense and perfect tense) can often be used instead if the context is unambiguous. Present (Präsens) – It is the present conjugated form of the infinitive. It is the most important tense in German. The Present tense is mainly used for simple present, present progressive, as well as for future. It is also used for historical past. Example: Ich kaufe das Auto. ("I buy the car")
Preterite (Imperfekt, Präteritum) – It is the past conjugated form of the infinitive. This past tense is mainly used in written German and formal speech, except for some frequent verbs whose preterite forms are common colloquially (such as ich war, ich hatte, ich kam). It is also used for past progressive. Otherwise, the perfect is much preferred in colloquial language, but in northern regions of Germany it is more frequently used. Example: Ich kaufte das Auto. ("I bought the car")
Perfect (Perfekt) – It is the present conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. This tense has (widely) the same meaning as the preterite and very often replaces the latter in colloquial German. An English perfect tense is often expressed by the present in German. For example, "I have lived in Germany for three years now." → Ich lebe jetzt seit drei Jahren in Deutschland. (Literally "I live now for three years in Germany.") Example: Ich habe das Auto gekauft. ("I (have) bought the car")
Pluperfect / past perfect (Plusquamperfekt) – It is the past conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. It can be thought of as the perfect form of the preterite, used to describe what already had happened at a certain point in the past. If the context is unambiguous, the perfect or preterite may be used instead (as in English). Example: Ich hatte das Auto gekauft. ("I had bought the car")
Future (Futur I) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive. It generally describes the future but may also express an assumption for the present. In contrast to English, the future tense is usually replaced by the present tense if the future meaning is already evident from the context. For example, "In ten years I'll be old" → In zehn Jahren bin ich alt. (Literally: "In ten years am I old.") This is particularly common in colloquial German but is also correct in writing. Example: Ich werde das Auto kaufen. ("I will buy the car")
Future perfect (Futur II) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive of the perfect infinitive. It describes what will have happened at a certain point in the future (past of the future), but the simple perfect, or even present (and by a common pupils' mistake, Futur I, but that is universally judged to be incorrect), is preferred instead if the future meaning is evident from the context. More commonly, the future perfect expresses an assumption for the past: Er wird einen Unfall gehabt haben. ("He will [probably] have had an accident.") Example: Ich werde das Auto gekauft haben. ("I'll have bought the car")
Preterite (Imperfekt, Präteritum) – It is the past conjugated form of the infinitive. This past tense is mainly used in written German and formal speech, except for some frequent verbs whose preterite forms are common colloquially (such as ich war, ich hatte, ich kam). It is also used for past progressive. Otherwise, the perfect is much preferred in colloquial language, but in northern regions of Germany it is more frequently used. Example: Ich kaufte das Auto. ("I bought the car")
Perfect (Perfekt) – It is the present conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. This tense has (widely) the same meaning as the preterite and very often replaces the latter in colloquial German. An English perfect tense is often expressed by the present in German. For example, "I have lived in Germany for three years now." → Ich lebe jetzt seit drei Jahren in Deutschland. (Literally "I live now for three years in Germany.") Example: Ich habe das Auto gekauft. ("I (have) bought the car")
Pluperfect / past perfect (Plusquamperfekt) – It is the past conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. It can be thought of as the perfect form of the preterite, used to describe what already had happened at a certain point in the past. If the context is unambiguous, the perfect or preterite may be used instead (as in English). Example: Ich hatte das Auto gekauft. ("I had bought the car")
Future (Futur I) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive. It generally describes the future but may also express an assumption for the present. In contrast to English, the future tense is usually replaced by the present tense if the future meaning is already evident from the context. For example, "In ten years I'll be old" → In zehn Jahren bin ich alt. (Literally: "In ten years am I old.") This is particularly common in colloquial German but is also correct in writing. Example: Ich werde das Auto kaufen. ("I will buy the car")
Future perfect (Futur II) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive of the perfect infinitive. It describes what will have happened at a certain point in the future (past of the future), but the simple perfect, or even present (and by a common pupils' mistake, Futur I, but that is universally judged to be incorrect), is preferred instead if the future meaning is evident from the context. More commonly, the future perfect expresses an assumption for the past: Er wird einen Unfall gehabt haben. ("He will [probably] have had an accident.") Example: Ich werde das Auto gekauft haben. ("I'll have bought the car")
Будущее (Futur I) – Это настоящая спрягаемая форма будущего инфинитива. Обычно оно описывает будущее, но также может выражать предположение о настоящем. В отличие от английского, будущее время обычно заменяется настоящим временем, если будущее значение уже очевидно из контекста. Например: «Через десять лет я буду стар». → In zehn Jahren bin ich alt. (Буквально: «Через десять лет я стар».) Это особенно распространено в разговорном немецком языке, но также верно и в письменной речи. Пример: Ich werde das Auto kaufen. («Я куплю машину»)
Although there are six tenses in German, only two are simple; the others are compound and therefore build on the simple constructions. The tenses are quite similar to English constructions. Conjugation includes three persons, two numbers (singular and plural), three moods (indicative, imperative and subjunctive), and two simple tenses (present and preterite). The subjunctive of the present is almost never used in colloquial German (and relatively infrequent in written German as well); the subjunctive of the past is more common, at least for some frequent verbs (ich wäre, ich hätte, ich käme etc.). The latter is used like a conditional mood in German (English: I would). English native speakers should note that German tenses do not carry aspect information. There are no progressive tenses in standard German. Das Mädchen geht zur Schule may mean "The girl goes to school" as well as "The girl is going to school". One must use an adverb to make a visible difference aside from the context. In colloquial spoken German, in particular in the Rhineland and Ruhr areas, a present progressive tense does exist and is known as the rheinische Verlaufsform. It is formed with the verb sein ("to be") + am ("at the") + verbal noun. For example: Ich bin am Essen. – I am eating; Ich bin das Auto am Reparieren. – I'm fixing the car. However, this form is rarely used in writing and is not used in formal spoken German. A second kind of progressive tense is formed with the verb sein ("to be") + present participle, and is the literal translation of the English progressive tense (for present and past). For example: Ich bin/war essend. – I am/was eating; Ich bin/war das Auto reparierend. – I am/was fixing the car. In contrast to the rheinische Verlaufsform, this progressive tense is a formally correct feature of standard German; however, it is very uncommon in both colloquial German and formal German. If it is used, it often may appear unwieldy or unnatural, except for specific usual cases. This form also differs from the other German tenses in that it has a very unambiguous progressive aspect. As is shown in the following, German is not very rigid in its usage of tenses. More precise tenses are available to express certain temporal nuances, but both of the most common tenses (present tense and perfect tense) can often be used instead if the context is unambiguous. Present (Präsens) – It is the present conjugated form of the infinitive. It is the most important tense in German. The Present tense is mainly used for simple present, present progressive, as well as for future. It is also used for historical past. Example: Ich kaufe das Auto. ("I buy the car")
Preterite (Imperfekt, Präteritum) – It is the past conjugated form of the infinitive. This past tense is mainly used in written German and formal speech, except for some frequent verbs whose preterite forms are common colloquially (such as ich war, ich hatte, ich kam). It is also used for past progressive. Otherwise, the perfect is much preferred in colloquial language, but in northern regions of Germany it is more frequently used. Example: Ich kaufte das Auto. ("I bought the car")
Perfect (Perfekt) – It is the present conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. This tense has (widely) the same meaning as the preterite and very often replaces the latter in colloquial German. An English perfect tense is often expressed by the present in German. For example, "I have lived in Germany for three years now." → Ich lebe jetzt seit drei Jahren in Deutschland. (Literally "I live now for three years in Germany.") Example: Ich habe das Auto gekauft. ("I (have) bought the car")
Pluperfect / past perfect (Plusquamperfekt) – It is the past conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. It can be thought of as the perfect form of the preterite, used to describe what already had happened at a certain point in the past. If the context is unambiguous, the perfect or preterite may be used instead (as in English). Example: Ich hatte das Auto gekauft. ("I had bought the car")
Future (Futur I) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive. It generally describes the future but may also express an assumption for the present. In contrast to English, the future tense is usually replaced by the present tense if the future meaning is already evident from the context. For example, "In ten years I'll be old" → In zehn Jahren bin ich alt. (Literally: "In ten years am I old.") This is particularly common in colloquial German but is also correct in writing. Example: Ich werde das Auto kaufen. ("I will buy the car")
Future perfect (Futur II) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive of the perfect infinitive. It describes what will have happened at a certain point in the future (past of the future), but the simple perfect, or even present (and by a common pupils' mistake, Futur I, but that is universally judged to be incorrect), is preferred instead if the future meaning is evident from the context. More commonly, the future perfect expresses an assumption for the past: Er wird einen Unfall gehabt haben. ("He will [probably] have had an accident.") Example: Ich werde das Auto gekauft haben. ("I'll have bought the car")
Preterite (Imperfekt, Präteritum) – It is the past conjugated form of the infinitive. This past tense is mainly used in written German and formal speech, except for some frequent verbs whose preterite forms are common colloquially (such as ich war, ich hatte, ich kam). It is also used for past progressive. Otherwise, the perfect is much preferred in colloquial language, but in northern regions of Germany it is more frequently used. Example: Ich kaufte das Auto. ("I bought the car")
Perfect (Perfekt) – It is the present conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. This tense has (widely) the same meaning as the preterite and very often replaces the latter in colloquial German. An English perfect tense is often expressed by the present in German. For example, "I have lived in Germany for three years now." → Ich lebe jetzt seit drei Jahren in Deutschland. (Literally "I live now for three years in Germany.") Example: Ich habe das Auto gekauft. ("I (have) bought the car")
Pluperfect / past perfect (Plusquamperfekt) – It is the past conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. It can be thought of as the perfect form of the preterite, used to describe what already had happened at a certain point in the past. If the context is unambiguous, the perfect or preterite may be used instead (as in English). Example: Ich hatte das Auto gekauft. ("I had bought the car")
Future (Futur I) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive. It generally describes the future but may also express an assumption for the present. In contrast to English, the future tense is usually replaced by the present tense if the future meaning is already evident from the context. For example, "In ten years I'll be old" → In zehn Jahren bin ich alt. (Literally: "In ten years am I old.") This is particularly common in colloquial German but is also correct in writing. Example: Ich werde das Auto kaufen. ("I will buy the car")
Future perfect (Futur II) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive of the perfect infinitive. It describes what will have happened at a certain point in the future (past of the future), but the simple perfect, or even present (and by a common pupils' mistake, Futur I, but that is universally judged to be incorrect), is preferred instead if the future meaning is evident from the context. More commonly, the future perfect expresses an assumption for the past: Er wird einen Unfall gehabt haben. ("He will [probably] have had an accident.") Example: Ich werde das Auto gekauft haben. ("I'll have bought the car")
Будущее перфектное (Futur II) – Это настоящая спрягаемая форма будущего инфинитива перфектного инфинитива. Оно описывает то, что произойдет к определенному моменту в будущем (прошедшее будущего), но простой перфект или даже настоящее время (и, что является распространенной ошибкой учеников, Futur I, но это повсеместно считается неправильным) предпочтительнее, если будущее значение очевидно из контекста. Чаще всего будущее перфектное выражает предположение о прошлом: Er wird einen Unfall gehabt haben. («Он, вероятно, попал в аварию».) Пример: Ich werde das Auto gekauft haben. («Я уже куплю машину»)
Although there are six tenses in German, only two are simple; the others are compound and therefore build on the simple constructions. The tenses are quite similar to English constructions. Conjugation includes three persons, two numbers (singular and plural), three moods (indicative, imperative and subjunctive), and two simple tenses (present and preterite). The subjunctive of the present is almost never used in colloquial German (and relatively infrequent in written German as well); the subjunctive of the past is more common, at least for some frequent verbs (ich wäre, ich hätte, ich käme etc.). The latter is used like a conditional mood in German (English: I would). English native speakers should note that German tenses do not carry aspect information. There are no progressive tenses in standard German. Das Mädchen geht zur Schule may mean "The girl goes to school" as well as "The girl is going to school". One must use an adverb to make a visible difference aside from the context. In colloquial spoken German, in particular in the Rhineland and Ruhr areas, a present progressive tense does exist and is known as the rheinische Verlaufsform. It is formed with the verb sein ("to be") + am ("at the") + verbal noun. For example: Ich bin am Essen. – I am eating; Ich bin das Auto am Reparieren. – I'm fixing the car. However, this form is rarely used in writing and is not used in formal spoken German. A second kind of progressive tense is formed with the verb sein ("to be") + present participle, and is the literal translation of the English progressive tense (for present and past). For example: Ich bin/war essend. – I am/was eating; Ich bin/war das Auto reparierend. – I am/was fixing the car. In contrast to the rheinische Verlaufsform, this progressive tense is a formally correct feature of standard German; however, it is very uncommon in both colloquial German and formal German. If it is used, it often may appear unwieldy or unnatural, except for specific usual cases. This form also differs from the other German tenses in that it has a very unambiguous progressive aspect. As is shown in the following, German is not very rigid in its usage of tenses. More precise tenses are available to express certain temporal nuances, but both of the most common tenses (present tense and perfect tense) can often be used instead if the context is unambiguous. Present (Präsens) – It is the present conjugated form of the infinitive. It is the most important tense in German. The Present tense is mainly used for simple present, present progressive, as well as for future. It is also used for historical past. Example: Ich kaufe das Auto. ("I buy the car")
Preterite (Imperfekt, Präteritum) – It is the past conjugated form of the infinitive. This past tense is mainly used in written German and formal speech, except for some frequent verbs whose preterite forms are common colloquially (such as ich war, ich hatte, ich kam). It is also used for past progressive. Otherwise, the perfect is much preferred in colloquial language, but in northern regions of Germany it is more frequently used. Example: Ich kaufte das Auto. ("I bought the car")
Perfect (Perfekt) – It is the present conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. This tense has (widely) the same meaning as the preterite and very often replaces the latter in colloquial German. An English perfect tense is often expressed by the present in German. For example, "I have lived in Germany for three years now." → Ich lebe jetzt seit drei Jahren in Deutschland. (Literally "I live now for three years in Germany.") Example: Ich habe das Auto gekauft. ("I (have) bought the car")
Pluperfect / past perfect (Plusquamperfekt) – It is the past conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. It can be thought of as the perfect form of the preterite, used to describe what already had happened at a certain point in the past. If the context is unambiguous, the perfect or preterite may be used instead (as in English). Example: Ich hatte das Auto gekauft. ("I had bought the car")
Future (Futur I) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive. It generally describes the future but may also express an assumption for the present. In contrast to English, the future tense is usually replaced by the present tense if the future meaning is already evident from the context. For example, "In ten years I'll be old" → In zehn Jahren bin ich alt. (Literally: "In ten years am I old.") This is particularly common in colloquial German but is also correct in writing. Example: Ich werde das Auto kaufen. ("I will buy the car")
Future perfect (Futur II) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive of the perfect infinitive. It describes what will have happened at a certain point in the future (past of the future), but the simple perfect, or even present (and by a common pupils' mistake, Futur I, but that is universally judged to be incorrect), is preferred instead if the future meaning is evident from the context. More commonly, the future perfect expresses an assumption for the past: Er wird einen Unfall gehabt haben. ("He will [probably] have had an accident.") Example: Ich werde das Auto gekauft haben. ("I'll have bought the car")
Preterite (Imperfekt, Präteritum) – It is the past conjugated form of the infinitive. This past tense is mainly used in written German and formal speech, except for some frequent verbs whose preterite forms are common colloquially (such as ich war, ich hatte, ich kam). It is also used for past progressive. Otherwise, the perfect is much preferred in colloquial language, but in northern regions of Germany it is more frequently used. Example: Ich kaufte das Auto. ("I bought the car")
Perfect (Perfekt) – It is the present conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. This tense has (widely) the same meaning as the preterite and very often replaces the latter in colloquial German. An English perfect tense is often expressed by the present in German. For example, "I have lived in Germany for three years now." → Ich lebe jetzt seit drei Jahren in Deutschland. (Literally "I live now for three years in Germany.") Example: Ich habe das Auto gekauft. ("I (have) bought the car")
Pluperfect / past perfect (Plusquamperfekt) – It is the past conjugated form of the perfect infinitive. It can be thought of as the perfect form of the preterite, used to describe what already had happened at a certain point in the past. If the context is unambiguous, the perfect or preterite may be used instead (as in English). Example: Ich hatte das Auto gekauft. ("I had bought the car")
Future (Futur I) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive. It generally describes the future but may also express an assumption for the present. In contrast to English, the future tense is usually replaced by the present tense if the future meaning is already evident from the context. For example, "In ten years I'll be old" → In zehn Jahren bin ich alt. (Literally: "In ten years am I old.") This is particularly common in colloquial German but is also correct in writing. Example: Ich werde das Auto kaufen. ("I will buy the car")
Future perfect (Futur II) – It is the present conjugated form of the future infinitive of the perfect infinitive. It describes what will have happened at a certain point in the future (past of the future), but the simple perfect, or even present (and by a common pupils' mistake, Futur I, but that is universally judged to be incorrect), is preferred instead if the future meaning is evident from the context. More commonly, the future perfect expresses an assumption for the past: Er wird einen Unfall gehabt haben. ("He will [probably] have had an accident.") Example: Ich werde das Auto gekauft haben. ("I'll have bought the car")