A2

Simple Past (Praeteritum)

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Explicação

The Präteritum (Simple Past)

Präteritum is the written past tense used in literature, news, and narratives. In everyday speech, Germans prefer the Perfekt — except for sein, haben, and modal verbs, which use Präteritum even in conversation.

Regular verbs: stem + t + ending

Personmachenwohnen
ichmachtewohnte
dumachtestwohntest
er/sie/esmachtewohnte
wir/sie/Siemachtenwohnten

Irregular verbs (stem change)

InfinitivePräteritum (ich)
seinwar (was)
habenhatte (had)
gehenging (went)
kommenkam (came)
sehensah (saw)

Modal verbs in Präteritum

ModalPräteritum
müssenmusste
könnenkonnte
wollenwollte
dürfendurfte
sollensollte
⚠️ In speech, always use Perfekt for content verbs. Präteritum in speech sounds formal/literary. Exception: Ich war, Ich hatte, Ich musste — these are normal in spoken German.

Exemplos

  • Ich war gestern krank.

    I was sick yesterday.

  • Wir mussten früh gehen.

    We had to leave early.

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